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Molly Russell: Pinterest regrets girl’s ability to view online content linked to self-harm

Two streams of video Molly Russell watched earlier in her use of the platform and in the weeks leading up to her death were shown at the inquest. The later stream of materials concentrated on despair and self-harm, while the previous stream covered a wide range of topics.

Molly Russell, a schoolgirl, was able to access self-harm-related content on Pinterest, according to Pinterest’s head of community operations, who has expressed his regret.

Two streams of video Molly Russell watched earlier in her use of the platform and in the weeks leading up to her death were shown at the inquest. The later stream of materials concentrated on despair and self-harm, while the previous stream covered a wide range of topics.

Molly Russell, a schoolgirl, was able to access self-harm-related content on Pinterest, according to Pinterest’s head of community operations, who has expressed his regret.

Two streams of the 14-year-old content were displayed before North London Coroners’ Court on Thursday, contrasting the information she watched earlier in her use of the platform and in the months leading up to her death.

Molly, from Harrow, north-west London, was found dead in her bedroom in November 2017 after viewing online content that promoted self-harm.

She was an active user of Pinterest, with more than 15,000 engagements, including 3,000 saves, in the last six months of her life.

Judson Hoffman, head of Pinterest’s community operations, was asked by the lawyer representing Molly’s family at her inquest if he agreed the type of content had changed.

Mr Hoffman said: “I do and it’s important to note, and I deeply regret that she was able to access some of the content shown.”

Mr Oliver Sanders KC asked: “You’ve said you regret it, are you sorry it happened?”

Mr Hoffman replied: “I am sorry it happened.”

The court heard the social media giant sent emails to the teenager with headings such as “10 depression pins you might like” and “depression recovery, depressed girl and more pins trending on Pinterest”.

The emails also contained images. The family’s lawyer asked Mr Hoffman whether he believed they were “safe for children to see”.

Mr Hoffman replied: “So, I want to be careful here because of the guidance that we have seen.

“I will say that this is the type of content that we wouldn’t like anyone spending a lot of time with.”

Mr Sanders KC said “particularly children” would find it “very difficult… to make sense” of the material – to which Mr Hoffman replied: “Yes.”

Mr Hoffman said he was “not able to answer” how children could agree to potentially being exposed to content inappropriate for a child.

In the platform’s terms of service, displayed to the hearing, the court was told users were asked to report “bad stuff” if they saw it on the site.

The terms of service from November 2016 said users may be exposed to material that was “inappropriate to children”.

Mr Sanders KC asked: “Bearing in mind it might be children who are opening the account… when a user opens an account they have to agree there may be content that’s inappropriate for a child.

“If the user is a child, how can they agree to that?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not able to answer that,” Mr Hoffman said.

People over the age of 13 can use the platform and Coroner Andrew Walker asked if the firm distinguished between children and adults when accounts are set up.

“No, we do not,” Mr Hoffman replied.

On Wednesday, Molly’s father Ian Russell urged action at her inquest to “prevent such a young life from being wasted again”.

“No one is immune from such tragedy, it is closer to all of us than we would care to think, and breaking the stigma that surrounds mental health, self-harm and suicide is literally vital,” he said.

The inquest continues.

Source: Sky news

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