Online safety - protecting kids from those who encourage them to self-harm

The government has this week announced that internet trolls will face up to five years in jail for encouraging others to self-harm, as part of a package of measures to make the internet a safer place for everyone. 

  • No parent should have to worry about their children viewing content online – or elsewhere – let alone the possibility that they will be encouraged to hurt themselves.
  • That is why the government is making it a crime to encourage someone to cause serious self-harm, including someone to starve themselves or not take prescribed medication. The offence will apply even when the perpetrator does not know the person they are targeting and see those convicted face up to 5 years in prison, putting an end to anonymous trolling that risks serious self-harm. 
  • Building on the existing measures in the Online Safety Bill, these changes will make it easier to convict those responsible for this dangerous intellectual poison and make the internet a better and safer place for everyone. 

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