Molly Russell’s father has accused the world’s biggest social media firms of “monetising misery” after an inquest ruled that harmful online content contributed to the 14-year-old’s death. Molly “died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content”, Walker ruled on Friday. He said algorithms that curate a social media user’s experience had pushed harmful content to Molly that she had not requested. The headteacher at Molly’s secondary school also gave evidence, describing how it was “almost impossible” to keep track of the risks posed to pupils by social media. The NSPCC described the ruling as a global first and a “big tobacco moment” for social media.

Source: The Guardian October 01, 2022 02:18 UTC