THE UK’s broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, has launched an investigation into an online suicide forum that local media reports have linked to at least 50 deaths in the country.
The investigation will look into whether the forum’s service provider failed to implement adequate safety measures to protect UK users from illegal content and activity.
This is the first time Ofcom is investigating a specific service provider under the Online Safety Act of 2023. The law requires service providers to remove illegal content once they become aware of it.
Ofcom said in a statement, "We have made several attempts to engage with this service provider in respect of its duties under the act and issued a legally binding request to submit the record of its illegal harms risk assessment to us."
"Having received a limited response to our request, and unsatisfactory information about the steps being taken to protect UK users from illegal content, we have today launched an investigation into whether the provider is complying with its legal obligations under the act."
The regulator has not named the service provider or the website due to the nature of the content.
According to the BBC, the forum is hosted in the United States and has tens of thousands of users, including children.
The report said that members of the forum discuss suicide methods and share instructions on how to obtain and use a toxic chemical.
The BBC also reported that around 50 suicides in the UK have been linked to the forum.
If the provider is found to be in breach of the law, Ofcom could seek a court order to remove the content. The provider could also face a fine of up to £18 million or 10 percent of its global revenue.
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.