Facebook-owned photosharing app Instagram will now bar users from posting images related to self-harm or suicide following, in a bid to protect vulnerable teens from seeing these graphic images.
This follows a public outcry, with the company saying that accounts sharing this type of content won’t be recommended in search or other parts of the app.
The purge will focus on drawings, memes and graphic images from films or comics. Other artistic works with associated materials or methods will also not be spared.
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“The tragic reality is that some young people are influenced in a negative way by what they see online, and as a result they might hurt themselves. This is a real risk,” said Instagram head Adam Mosseri.
In 2017, a British teenager, Molly Russell, took her life after using Instagram to engage with and post content about depression and suicide. Her family blamed Instagram for her death.
In February, Instagram banned all graphic images of self-harm, such as cutting, as well as nongraphic content, such as images of healed scars, from showing up in search, hashtags and the explore tab, which affected more than 834,000 pieces of content.
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