Louise Bernard 9:29 a.m., October 5, 2022, modified at 9:30 a.m., October 5, 2022
British justice recognizes the role of social networks in the suicide of a teenager, following a procedure which has revived the debate on the influence of these platforms and their algorithms.
Molly Russel was 14 when she committed suicide in 2017, and for her parents the content she had consulted on social networks had something to do with it.
Social media 'contributed' to the death of 14-year-old Molly.
This British teenager committed suicide in her bedroom one night.
She watched a lot of content on social media.
And, as she grew more and more withdrawn, slipped into depression, she was exposed to negative content.
The social media algorithm repeatedly offered him content related to suicide and depression.
The family fought to have the responsibility of social networks recognized
Her family spent years fighting for social media to be held responsible for Molly's death, and in particular for access to data on what she had been able to consult online.
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138 videos about suicide or mutilation
It shows that, out of more than 16,000 pages viewed in the six months before her death, she had consulted more than 2,000 negative content, including 138 videos talking about suicide or mutilation.
The case was examined for 15 days of hearing, before a special body, the Coroners' Court in North London.
This court is independent of the police and the judiciary.
She acknowledged that this content "was not safe" and "should not have been accessible to a child" and that "the negative effects of online content" had "contributed" to Molly's death.