Web giants promoting self-harm images

GOOGLE, Facebook and Twitter have been branded ‘morally bankrupt’ for hosting thousands of images showing youngsters how to starve themselves and self harm.

The posts include bloody images of users’ wrists with hashtags such as ‘suicide’ and ‘bleed’. The posts also glamorise eating disorders with pictures, left, of dangerously skeletal bodies and carry a series of practical tips on how to stave off hunger on the ‘no food diet’.

Users discuss the best ways to reduce scarring when they cut themselves and the most effective ways to commit sui- cide. Charities and politicians said the internet firms should act.

Labour MP Helen Goodman said: ‘The tech companies don’t seem to be able to distinguish between good natural bodies, such as breastfeeding mothers, and bad naked bodies, such as people starving themselves. I just think they’re totally morally bankrupt.’

Stephen Buckley, of the mental health charity Mind, said: ‘It is vital to recognise the huge danger created by any site or social media trend that promotes or glamorises self-harm, suicide or eating disorders. These are incredi- bly serious problems.’ Google and Facebook, which both said they worked to protect users, removed some of the content when alerted by the Mail.

Twitter directed us to its lengthy user policy but declined to comment further. The web giants say that users must be over 13 years of age to set up an account, and – in the case of Google – over 18 to watch certain clips.

However, they only ‘verify’ that by asking people to tick a box. And children are easily able to search Twitter, Instagram and most of YouTube without ever logging in.