Musk ordered the removal of suicide prevention function Twitter self-harm discussion has increased by 500%

Twitter

Twitter Inc. has in the past few days removed a suicide prevention feature that recommended suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking for specific content, people familiar with the matter said. They revealed that the feature was removed on the orders of Twitter’s new boss, Elon Musk.

The removed feature, called #ThereIsHelp, had never been reported before. It shows contact details for support groups in many countries related to mental health, HIV, vaccines, child sexual exploitation, COVID-19, gender-based violence, natural disasters, and free speech at the top of specific searches. It’s unclear why Musk ordered the feature removed.

Its removal could raise concerns about the well-being of vulnerable users on Twitter. Musk said views, or views, of harmful content are declining since he took over Twitter last October, and tweeted a graph showing the decline, despite researchers and civil rights groups tracking racially charged content. and other hateful tweets.

Alex Goldenberg, chief intelligence analyst at the nonprofit Cyber ​​Contagion Institute, said hints that were showing up in search results a few days ago were no longer visible by Thursday. A study he and his colleagues published in August found that monthly mentions of words related to self-harm on Twitter have increased by more than 500% compared with a year ago, and young users are especially at risk when they see such content.

“If the decision is a policy change that symbolizes that they no longer take these issues seriously, it is very dangerous,” Goldenberg said. “It runs counter to Musk’s previous commitment to prioritizing the safety of children.” rain)

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