"Ofcom, the online regulator, said it could now apply to the courts to issue fines and demand internet service providers block access to the site in the UK. This will depend on how the site responds over the next 10 days. Coroners have been raising concerns about the links between the forum and suicides in the UK since at least 2019, campaigners said."
"The forum implemented a geoblock to restrict access by people on devices which appear to be physically located in the UK, but also posted a message on the landing page promoting ways to circumvent the block. This was removed, but in November, Samaritans found the forum remained directly available to UK users via a mirror site."
"Their analysis found coroners have raised concerns about various substance or suicide forums with government departments at least 65 times since 2019. It also said there was evidence of deaths linked to the forum which had occurred in the UK since the geoblock."
A suicide forum linked to multiple deaths in Britain violated the Online Safety Act by failing to properly restrict access to UK users when ordered. Ofcom, the online regulator, can now pursue court action for fines and demand internet service providers block the site. The forum implemented a geoblock but posted instructions to circumvent it, and later remained accessible via mirror sites. Coroners have documented concerns about the forum's connection to UK suicides since 2019. Bereaved families and advocacy groups criticized Ofcom's response speed, noting coroners raised concerns about harmful forums at least 65 times since 2019. The regulator found the forum failed to assess risks of illegal content and remove it swiftly.
#online-safety-act #suicide-forum-regulation #ofcom-enforcement #harmful-content-blocking #digital-safety
Read at www.theguardian.com
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