Encouraging someone to self-harm will become a criminal offence after a 14-year-old girl’s death.
MPs will finally debate the long-delayed Online Safety Bill again on December 5 in a bid to curb “abhorrent trolls” on websites, apps and messaging services.
Changes have been influenced by Molly Russell, the 14-year-old who took her own life in November 2017 after viewing social media content linked to depression, self-harm and suicide.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said the update will create a new offence of communications that encourage someone to physically harm themselves.
This will bring it in line with communications that encourage suicide, which are already illegal.
Ms Donelan added: “I am determined that the abhorrent trolls encouraging the young and vulnerable to self-harm are brought to justice.
"So I am strengthening our online safety laws to make sure these vile acts are stamped out and the perpetrators face jail time.
"Social media firms can no longer remain silent bystanders either and they'll face fines for allowing this abusive and destructive behaviour to continue on their platforms under our laws."
The Bill will impose duties on firms like Facebook and Google to police illegal content or content that is harmful to children.
Porn sites may also have to set up age verification to ensure children are not accessing the material.
But clauses on content that is “legal but harmful” to adults will be axed - amid fears it would criminalise behaviour online that would be legal in the ‘real world’.
The government is set to unveil from Tuesday how it will replace the “legal but harmful” clauses along with other elements of the long-awaited law.
Samaritans chief executive Julie Bentley said: “It’s fantastic to see the Government has heeded our calls to criminalise encouraging self-harm online.
“This is a big step forward in making the internet a safer place for everyone; however, tackling illegal suicide and self-harm content in the Online Safety Bill is only half the job.
“It’s vital that dangerous content that is still legal but incredibly harmful is regulated through the law and keeps people of all ages protected.”
Earlier this week, the Government announced other new offences being added to the Bill that would crack down on the sharing intimate images without consent.
With the introduction of the updates around encouraging self-harm, social media platforms will be required to remove such content, and any person found to have sent such communications will face prosecution.
The Government said more details around the maximum penalty for the offence will be published in due course.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: "Lives and families have been devastated by those who encourage vulnerable internet users to self-harm.
"Our changes will ensure the full force of the law applies to those callous and reckless individuals who try to manipulate the vulnerable online in this way."
