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A coroner has hit out at a social media company after a schoolgirl killed herself immediately after investigating “concerning” content about self-harm on question-and-answer website Quora.
Young Isabella Shere, 14, was found hanged in her family home after spending months searching for information on how to end her life.
South London assistant coroner Fleur Hallett called on Quora, the government and communications regulator Ofcom to take action after it emerged Isabella was able to access worrying content because it had no age restrictions.
Hallett, who concluded that Isabella committed suicide, said: “During the course of the investigation, evidence revealed issues of concern.
‘In my opinion there is a risk of future deaths unless action is taken.
The inquest heard that Isabella’s internet search history showed she had been researching how to end her life.
Coroner Fleur Hallett wrote to question and answer forum Quora, as well as the government and communications regulator Ofcom, after Isabella Shere was able to access “concerning” content unchecked.
The coroner’s court in inner south London, where the coroner concluded that Isabella, from nearby Lewisham, had committed suicide.
And he had visited Quora, a popular social forum used by hundreds of millions of people to find and provide answers to questions, immediately before hanging himself on February 2, 2023.
The coroner removed the specific website in his report into Isabella’s death, but said the content raised concerns and that it had no age restrictions, meaning it could be accessed by children.
The coroner wrote: “Miss Shere was not known to have been struggling with her mental health, but her internet search history in the last four months of her life indicated that she was searching for information relating to methods of ending life.”
‘Miss Shere left a note indicating her intention to take her own life.
“During the course of the investigation, evidence revealed issues of concern.
‘In my opinion there is a risk of future deaths unless action is taken.
‘The question and answer thread that Miss Shere viewed immediately before her death, at the time of writing, had 169,700 views.
“The content is not marked as adult content when accessed on a phone or computer.”
The coroner said children could access the site through search engines without having to create an account and access the content without being asked if they were adults or being asked to enter their date of birth.
He said the website also suggested more similar content “encouraging greater consumption of this material”, and that users could vote on whether an answer was helpful or not.
He said this could mean that the user does not fully appreciate “the seriousness of the issue being consumed.”
The coroner added: ‘There is insufficient monitoring and/or moderation of question/answer content in accordance with Quora’s own platform policies.
“In my opinion, measures must be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe that you and/or your organization have the power to take such measures.”
Quora, the Government and the broadcasting regulator must respond to the coroner’s report.
For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
