Suicide Forum Ruled in Breach of Online Safety Act After Failing to Block UK Users
Ofcom, the UK's online regulator, has determined that a suicide forum linked to multiple deaths in Britain has violated the Online Safety Act. The forum failed to adequately block access to UK users when ordered to do so last year, prompting the regulator to announce it could now apply to courts for fines and demand internet service providers block the site domestically. This action depends on the forum's response over the next ten working days.
Investigation and Legal Breaches
Ofcom launched an investigation in April last year, as encouraging or assisting suicide is a criminal offence in the United Kingdom. The forum had implemented a geoblock to restrict access from devices physically located in the UK, but it also posted a message on its landing page promoting ways to circumvent this block. Although the message was removed, in November, Samaritans discovered the forum remained directly accessible to UK users via a mirror site—the same site operating under a different domain name.
The regulator stated that after monitoring the service, concerns arose that the block was ineffective or not consistently maintained, leading to a provisional breach decision. "The provider of the forum now has 10 working days to respond to our provisional findings, which will be carefully considered before we make our final decision," Ofcom said on Friday.
Coroners' Concerns and Family Impact
Coroners have been raising alarms about connections between the forum and suicides in the UK since at least 2019, according to campaigners. The family of 17-year-old Vlad Nikolin-Caisley from Southampton reported that he took his own life in 2024 after using the site, which Ofcom has chosen not to name publicly. Bereaved families and the Molly Rose Foundation—established after 14-year-old Molly Russell died by suicide following exposure to harmful social media content—have criticized the regulator for perceived delays in action.
Last autumn, they expressed that "there are serious questions to answer about why Ofcom has delayed taking action on multiple breaches of the law." Their analysis found that coroners have raised concerns about various substance or suicide forums with government departments at least 65 times since 2019, with evidence of deaths linked to the forum occurring in the UK even after the geoblock was implemented.
Regulatory Actions and Calls for Swift Measures
Ofcom has now concluded that the forum failed to comply with its duties under the Online Safety Act, including assessing the risk of illegal content and promptly removing such content upon awareness. Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, emphasized the urgency: "This forum exists to coerce and groom vulnerable, often young, people into ending their lives and this action from Ofcom couldn’t come soon enough. It is now crucial that the regulator acts swiftly to shut the site down with fines or criminal sanctions that match the level of harm caused."
Burrows added that working with survivors and bereaved families, they have identified at least 135 UK deaths linked to the forum. "Ofcom must act decisively so there are no more lost lives," he urged. The case highlights ongoing challenges in enforcing online safety regulations and protecting vulnerable individuals from harmful digital content.
