Instagram to shun ‘self-injury’ content

SAN FRANCISCO: Instagram on Thursday announced it is clamping down on images related to self-injury such as cutting.

The move came after British Health Secretary Matt Hancock met with social media companies about doing more to safeguard the mental health of teenagers using their platforms.

British teenager Molly Russell was found dead in her bedroom in 2017. The 14-year-old had apparently taken her own life, and her Instagram account reportedly revealed she followed accounts related to depression and suicide.

“It is encouraging to see that decisive steps are now being taken to try to protect children from disturbing content on Instagram,” said the girl’s father, Ian Russell.

Changes to Instagram’s selfharm content rules follow a comprehensive review involving experts and academics from around the world on youth, mental health, and suicide, according to CEO Adam Mosseri.