Instagram ‘must reveal how many children use it’

THE Children’s Commissioner has called on social media sites to reveal how many children under 13 are using their websites, following the suicide of schoolgirl Molly Russell.

The 14-year-old killed herself last November after viewing self-harm and suicide pictures that can be accessed by any child her age and over. Her family, from Harrow, north London, say social media played a part in her death.

In the outcry that followed, platforms were attacked for hosting graphic images of this type, and calls were made for them to be taken down.

Yesterday, sites showing images of self-harm and apparent suicide attempts were still easily accessible via the hashtag search system on Instagram, despite assurances that the site would remove them by the end of this week.

Now Commissioner Anne Longfield, who last week met politicians and social media giants about graphic content, wants to know how many under13s are using the sites.

She wrote in a statement: “The argument for a duty of care has never been stronger if these powerful and popular platforms aren’t to seize the moment to demon-

SUICIDE: Molly Russell, 14

strate what they have often said – that the well-being and safety of children is paramount to them.

“I will be contacting them further to urge greater transparency and to tackle the number of under-13s they know they have using their sites. I’ll be asking what they will be doing directly to tackle that since in a number of cases that is a clear breach of their terms and conditions.”

She also welcomed moves by Instagram and Pinterest to remove material.

Facebook said on Thursday its offshoot Instagram would remove images or videos of self-harm such as cutting.

Meanwhile, government sources say new “duty of care” legislation could come within months forcing social media companies to protect children. It is expected hefty fines – of up to four per cent of annual turnover – will be brought in if firms fail to comply.

Last year Channel 4 broadcast a documentary, Inside Facebook: Secrets Of A Social Network, which saw a reporter working undercover as a content reviewer being told to ignore users who appeared to be under age. Millions of under-age users are believed to sign up by giving the wrong date of birth.