Ofcom fines online forum £950,000 for failing to block UK users from suicide-related content

A pro-suicide online forum linked to at least 50 deaths has been fined £950,000 by Ofcom for failing to comply with the Online Safety Act to protect people in the UK from illegal content. The regulator determined the site was accessible by people in the UK without the use of a VPN. Ofcom's investigation, which ran from March 2025 to April 2026, was the first of its type under the legislation.

Suzanne Cater, Ofcom Director of Enforcement, said the forum had made some attempts to block UK users but this was not good enough and the changes were not consistently applied or effective to reduce the risk of harm. Cater added that the forum had caused unimaginable pain and suffering for bereaved families across the UK and beyond, and no punishment can undo that harm.

Ofcom stated the £950,000 fine reflects the serious and deliberate nature of the contraventions, and the risk of fatal harm to people in the UK posed by the content present on the service.

BBC News investigations found young people who had been on the site had been encouraged to and given instructions on how to kill themselves. The BBC and Ofcom chose not to name the website. It is a criminal offence in the UK to intentionally encourage or assist suicide, and the Online Safety Act requires chatroom providers to mitigate the risks of UK users seeing this type of content on their platforms.

Vlad Nikolin-Caisley, 17, from Southampton, and Aimee Walton, 21, from Southampton, both died after using the online pro-suicide chat room. Their families had called on Ofcom to act. Adele Zeynep Walton, Aimee's sister, stated families like hers had been agonisingly waiting for action against the website that took our loved ones.

Speaking on behalf of Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms, Adele Zeynep Walton stated we feel let down by the process and Ofcom's slow response to this threat to life. She added a fine was not enough and wanted to see criminal sanctions against the sinister actors who actively groom, encourage and instruct British people to take their lives.

The Molly Rose Foundation criticised Ofcom for taking too long to take action.

Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, stated it is appalling that it has been left to bereaved families and campaign groups to press Ofcom into action. Burrows added the foundation had submitted detailed evidence which showed scores of vulnerable young people remained at risk while Ofcom's investigation dragged on and further lives were lost during this period.

Ofcom stated it understood the urgency and the anger felt by those who had been personally affected.

An Ofcom spokesperson stated it is vital that we ensure our enforcement action is thorough, and this can take time, as is the case for any enforcement agency. The spokesperson added the provider had failed - and continues to fail - to comply with its duties. Ofcom stated it had spoken to people with personal knowledge of the forum.

The regulator said it had engaged extensively with the forum provider throughout the investigation. BBC News reported that in November 2025 a mirror site had emerged under a new name. Ofcom stated it acted quickly after being alerted to the new site by the Samaritans charity and it was blocked again.

Ofcom stated the fine took into account the changes which the forum's provider had made as it had attempted some blocks to UK users. However, Ofcom stated the provider had failed to comply with its duties to assess and mitigate the risk of people in the UK encountering illegal content on its service. The provider now has 10 working days to comply with the law.

Ofcom is preparing to apply for a court order which would require internet service providers to block access to the site. If the company fails to pay the fine, Ofcom can pursue it through the courts. An Ofcom spokesperson stated our investigation into this forum was the first to be launched under the Online Safety Act straight after it came into force.

BBC News reported the regulator's decision followed calls from the families of Vlad Nikolin-Caisley and Aimee Walton.