Ofcom Says Online Suicide Forum Has Blocked Access for Most UK Users

LONDON — A foreign-based online suicide-discussion forum has blocked access for the vast majority of users in the United Kingdom following enforcement action by communications regulator Ofcom.

Ofcom said the latest geographical restriction represents the fullest outcome currently available under the Online Safety Act because requiring further changes would affect people outside the UK and extend beyond British jurisdiction.

The regulator began investigating the forum under the UK's online-safety legislation after identifying content that intentionally encouraged or assisted suicide. Ofcom said material on the platform included instructional content and discussions that had remained available for extended periods.

Ofcom found the provider in breach of its legal duties in May 2026 because it had not taken proportionate measures to prevent UK users from encountering illegal content. The regulator imposed a £950,000 penalty and directed the company to comply with the law.

The provider had previously introduced a geoblock, but Ofcom concluded that the restriction was not consistently effective. Registered users in the UK could still access the forum without using a virtual private network.

The provider has now closed that route. Ofcom says the overwhelming majority of UK users who do not mask their location through a VPN can no longer access the site.

The regulator acknowledged that geoblocking cannot eliminate every risk. Some users may deliberately use technology to hide their location, while a very small number of registered users may still retain access because of technical circumstances.

However, Ofcom said it had not identified further changes that could materially improve the UK restriction without affecting the service's global operation. As a result, the legal conditions for seeking a court order requiring internet providers to block the forum are not currently met.

The regulator will continue monitoring the service to ensure that the geoblock remains effective. It is also working with the UK Government to consider whether enforcement powers, including business-disruption measures, should be strengthened.

Major search engines have removed links to the forum, and Ofcom has told internet providers that net-neutrality rules do not prevent them from including suicide-related material in parental and content-filtering services.

The case highlights the difficulty of regulating global online platforms when their users, owners and technical infrastructure operate across different jurisdictions.

Support information: Anyone in the UK or Republic of Ireland who is struggling emotionally can call Samaritans free at any time on 116 123.