United Kingdom: Government announced amendment to Online Safety Act 2023 designating self-harm and suicide content as a priority offence

On 8 September 2025, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology announced that the Online Safety Act will be amended to designate content encouraging or assisting serious self-harm as a priority offence. The regulations would establish legal requirements on technology companies to prevent exposure of such material to users of all ages. The regulations will mandate online platforms to use proactive systems and technologies to identify and remove content before it reaches individuals, extending protections previously applied only to children to adults at risk of mental health crises. The statutory instrument will be laid before both Houses of Parliament in the autumn, with the regulations entering into force 21 days after being made.