Bereaved families and survivors of a specific pro-suicide forum responsible for at least 133 UK deaths have written to say they were “dismayed and appalled” at the lack of enforcement action against the forum. In a partial U-turn, Ofcom announced it would be carrying out ‘further investigation’ into the forum after new information had emerged.

Our CEO, Andy Burrows, told Sky News he was disappointed this investigation hadn’t happened sooner, and urged no further delays to ending access to the forum in the UK.

He said: “We welcome this change in stance, but now need your help to apply pressure to the regulator so they don’t settle for half measures. Further delays and inaction will cost more lives. We’re asking Ofcom to use all the tools at its disposal against the forum. They should seek a business disruption order and issue fines and criminal sanctions quickly and decisively to end UK access to the site.”

If you’re struggling just text MRF to 85258 so you can speak to a trained volunteer from Shout, the UK’s Crisis Text Line service.

TAKE ACTION

Join us in urging Ofcom to finish the job by closing down the forum for good. Copy and paste the email below and send it to: chiefexecutive@ofcom.org.uk

Dear Melanie Dawes, Ofcom CEO,

I am incredibly concerned and dismayed by the continued presence of an online suicide forum that is linked to at least 133 deaths in the UK.

It is in Ofcom’s hands to shut down this site and save lives.

I was heartened when Ofcom opened its first investigation under the Online Safety Act into the forum, but since then this investigation has stalled.

It is worrying that Molly Rose Foundation has highlighted further deaths since your investigation began and since the site has been geo-blocked, as well as finding active UK users on the site.

 While your recent partial U-turn to continue your investigation into the forum is welcome, it is now time to deliver and use all of your powers to disrupt the site and hold its owners accountable for multiple breaches of the Online Safety Act.

 If this is not a case to use the financial and criminal sanctions at your disposal where the risk to life is so high, at what point is that threshold met?

 I urge you to seek a business disruption order through the courts to legally block this site to UK users once and for all.

 There should also be a swift and thorough investigation into the multiple breaches of the Online Safety Act and decisive action against those breaches with fines and criminal sanctions handed out.

 Just targeting mirror sites while the main site remains active to UK users is not enough.

 You owe it to the bereaved families and survivors who have uncovered the horrors of this forum to go further, faster and act more decisively.

 Yours sincerely,

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