Girl's suicide cited in call to regulate social media

A cover letter in the submission said recommender systems on social media platforms select “emotive and extreme content” and show it to people it estimates are most likely to be outraged. File photo

The tragic death of a girl who took her own life after being sucked into websites presenting suicide as a “romantic way” to end a life has formed part of a large-scale submission to regulate online media.

More than 60 organisations, co-ordinated by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, have demanded the so-called “recommender system” on social media platforms — which places suggested content into the feed of users — be turned off, citing harms that it causes.