Self-Harm Policies and Internet Platforms

Online platforms, such as social media and search engines, can be both positive and negative forces for an individual experiencing thoughts about suicide, self-injury, eating disorders, or other forms of self-harm. The platform may point individuals to helpful resources such as emergency help lines; it may also alert friends and family that an individual is at risk and provide space to reach out and help. But platforms can also direct individuals to content that encourages and glorifies self-harm.
What are platforms’ publicly known policies related to self-harm content? In this report we collect information on these policies for 39 online platforms, including search engines, social media networks, creator platforms, gaming platforms, dating apps, and chat apps. We code the policies and rank platforms based on policy comprehensiveness across various categories. We believe we are the first to collect this information systematically. It should be noted that a platform simply having a policy does not mean the policy cannot be improved. Our framework initially looks at whether policies exist and whether policies comprehensively address the spectrum of harm from content about suicide, self-injury, and eating disorders.