Meta Platforms, Inc. META, Snap Inc. SNAP, and ByteDance-owned TikTok have announced a joint initiative to combat the spread of suicide and self-harm content online.
What Happened: On Thursday, the tech giants launched a new program named Thrive, aimed at halting the dissemination of graphic content that depicts or encourages self-harm and suicide.
Thrive allows them to exchange “signals” to notify each other about such content on their platforms.
The Mental Health Coalition, a charity organization committed to destigmatizing mental health discussions, has partnered with the three companies to develop this initiative.
According to a blog post shared by Meta, the tech giant has already taken steps to make such content less accessible on its platform. “Between April and June this year, we took action on over 12 million pieces of suicide and self-harm content on Facebook and Instagram.:
However, it aims to maintain a space for users to share their experiences with mental health, suicide, and self-harm, provided they do not promote or provide graphic descriptions of these issues.
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Why It Matters: This initiative comes in the wake of increasing concerns about the safety of social media platforms for young users. Last year in November, a Meta whistleblower raised alarms about the safety of Instagram for teenagers.
Similarly, in January 2024, the Attorney General of Iowa initiated a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the platform of misleading parents about the extent of inappropriate content accessible to young users.
Earlier this year in June, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to limit phone usage among students during the school day, reflecting growing concerns about the impact of digital content on young minds.
In September, YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc., also restricted access to certain health and fitness videos for teenagers to protect them from developing negative self-perceptions.
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