Recurring concern
Inadequate controls on access to online suicide-promoting content
Pin
Get email alerts
Request correctionFirst reported 20 Nov 2013•Latest report 29 Apr 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures of controls specifically intended to prevent, restrict, detect or respond to vulnerable people's access to online suicide-promoting or suicide-facilitating content, including accessible forums, websites, books or social-media material and inadequate platform, regulatory or enforcement arrangements.
Not included
- Excludes general harmful online content where suicide promotion or facilitation is not the identified hazard.
- Excludes mental-health treatment, crisis-support or safety-netting deficiencies that do not concern access to online suicide-promoting content.
- Excludes ordinary online availability or neutral discussion of suicide where no promotion, instruction, facilitation or safety-control failure is identified.
- Excludes harmful-content amplification concerns where the asserted unsafe condition is broader platform recommendation or dissemination and is not specifically tied to suicide-promoting content.
- Reports
- 24
- Individual concerns
- 32
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 43
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to remove suicide-related content from a website
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
-
Concerns raised1
Accessibility of potentially harmful online material to vulnerable individuals in mental health crisis
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
-
Action
Maintain Search content policies prohibiting content that could directly facilitate serious and immediate harm.
Stated by Google UK Limited -
Action
Provide suicide and self-harm support information through hotline OneBoxes.
Stated by Google UK Limited -
Action
Apply specialised ranking approaches to suicide and self-harm queries.
Stated by Google UK Limited
-
Action
Lock SafeSearch and apply a UK-specific filter for known children to remove harmful content from results.
Stated by Google UK Limited -
Action
Comply with Online Safety Act obligations through risk assessment, Search moderation and related safety measures.
Stated by Google UK Limited
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
The website provider, not Google, determines who may register and access the hosted material.
Stated by Google UK Limited
-
Concerns raised2
Public access to websites promoting lethal poisons, administration methods and sourcing information
Failure of vendors to identify distribution of their website details on suicide-method platforms
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
-
Concerns raised1
Lack of vendor awareness of website distribution through platforms promoting suicide methods
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Online suicide and self-harm forum regulation falls within DSIT’s responsibility under the Online Safety Act, working with Ofcom.
Stated by Home Office
-
Concerns raised1
Failure of vendors to identify distribution of their website details on suicide-method platforms
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Ofcom is responsible for regulating and enforcing online safety duties covering suicide-related illegal content on in-scope services.
Stated by Home Office
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to identify distribution of vendor websites and details on suicide-method platforms
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Online suicide and self-harm forum regulation falls within DSIT’s responsibility under the Online Safety Act, working with Ofcom.
Stated by Home Office
-
Concerns raised2
Failure to detect distribution of vendor website details on suicide-method platforms
Public access to websites providing suicide-poison access, administration and sourcing information
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
-
Action
Engage online platforms to encourage voluntary removal of high-purity sodium nitrite listings.
Stated by Home Office
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Online suicide and self-harm forum regulation falls within DSIT’s responsibility under the Online Safety Act, working with Ofcom.
Stated by Home Office
-
Concerns raised2
Public access to websites promoting information on obtaining and administering poisons for suicide
Failure of vendors to know when their website details are distributed to promote suicide methods
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
-
Action
Engage online platforms to encourage voluntary removal of high-purity sodium nitrite listings.
Stated by Home Office
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Online suicide and self-harm forum regulation falls within DSIT’s responsibility under the Online Safety Act, working with Ofcom.
Stated by Home Office
-
Concerns raised1
Failure of vendors to identify distribution of their website details on suicide-method platforms
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
-
Concerns raised1
Failure to restrict in-patient access to self-harm websites through secure unit Wi-Fi
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
-
Position
Mobile-device filtering cannot currently be added because the available blocking programme is not suitable for mobile devices.
Stated by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Position
Changes to public NHS Wi-Fi require county-wide implementation and would affect all devices connected to that network.
Stated by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust -
Position
Managing Wi-Fi access to harmful websites in NHS facilities is outside NICE’s responsibility, so NICE cannot comment.
Stated by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Data last updated 7 September 2026