A pro-suicide website linked to at least 50 deaths in the UK is being investigated by the UK’s online regulator as part of the first probe of its kind under the Online Safety Act.
The site reportedly has tens of thousands of members with users – including children – discussing methods of suicide, sharing information about how to buy and use a potentially deadly toxic chemical.
Ofcom will look at whether the site’s service provider failed to put in place ‘appropriate safety measures’ to protect users from illegal content and activity.
It is the first investigation opened into an individual online service provider under the new laws.
The forum – which is not being named due to the nature of its content – has been linked to at least 50 deaths in the UK.
Ofcom gained more powers last month to take action against sites hosting illegal material with an investigation possibly leading to fines or court orders against those running the forum.
Families who have lost loved ones after contact with the site have called on Ofcom to act as quickly as possible.
Vlad Nikolin-Caisley, from Southampton, died in May last year, aged 17, with his parents having evidence that he was coached and encouraged to take his own life by members on the site.
He bought a poisonous chemical and followed instructions on how to end his life.
Ofcom will look at whether the site’s service provider failed to put in place ‘appropriate safety measures’ to protect users from illegal content and activity
‘At what point do we say enough is enough, because those young people did not deserve to die,’ Mr Nikolin-Caisley’s mother Anna said.
His father Graham added: ‘The sooner they take action, the sooner we stop deaths linked to this forum.’
Ofcom has spent the past 18 months drawing up guidelines and codes of practice for platforms following the Online Safety Act becoming law in October 2023.
Under the new legislation, service providers had until March 16 to assess the risk of users encountering illegal content and how it could be used to commit criminal offences, including encouraging or assisting suicide.
The regulator can impose fines of up to £18m or get court orders to block platforms if websites are unable to comply with the new rules.
However, Ofcom faces several challenges including those running the site are anonymous and that it is being hosted in the US.
In 2023, the BBC approached American man, Lamarcus Small, who is believed to have set the forum up in 2018 and in March last year, tracked down a poison seller in Ukraine who had been linked to the site.
A partner section where members on the website could find someone to die with was also exposed.
The site reportedly has tens of thousands of members with users – including children – discussing methods of suicide, sharing information about how to buy and use a potentially deadly toxic chemical
Catherine Adenekan and daughter-in-law Melanie Saville have been trying to have the website shut down after Catherine’s son, Joe, (pictured) took his own life in April 2020
Catherine Adenekan and daughter-in-law Melanie Saville have been trying to have the website shut down after Catherine’s son, Joe, took his own life in April 2020.
The 23-year-old was a member of the site for less than a week but was able to learn how to buy and use a toxic chemical.
He left a note for his mother which read: ‘Please do your best in closing that website for anyone else.’
Catherine and Melanie have documented the number of deaths associated with the forum and have been lobbying ministers, their local MP and talking to the media in a bid to get the site shut down.
Asked about Ofcom’s investigation, Melanie said: ‘They’ve known long enough about this site and what’s going on. They don’t need to go through lengthy processes to be able to take it down. They need to take the action now.’
The watchdog said it had made several attempts to work with the service provider and had requested a record of its risk assessment.
A statement said: ‘We’ve been clear that failure to comply with the new online safety duties or adequately respond to our information requests may result in enforcement action, and that we would not hesitate to take swift action where we suspect there may be serious breaches.
‘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.’
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
