February 8, 2019
Instagram Changes Rules on Self-Harm Postings After Suicide
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Instagram has agreed to ban graphic images of self-harm after objections were raised in Britain following the suicide of a teen whose father said the photo-sharing platform had contributed to her decision to take her own life.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said Thursday evening the platform is making a series of changes to its content rules.
He said: "We are not where we need to be on self-harm and suicide, and we need to do more to protect the most vulnerable in our community."
The company is also removing non-graphic images of self-harm from searches.
The call for changes was backed by the British government after the family of 14-year-old Molly Russell found material related to depression and suicide on her Instagram account after her death in 2017.