After investigating for the last three years, BBC News has linked a "pro-suicide" online forum allegedly created by a man in Huntsville to at least 50 deaths in the United Kingdom, prompting a formal investigation by the U.K.'s Office of Communications (Ofcom).
Ofcom announced its investigation on Wednesday. It will be the regulator's first test of its new powers to target sites with illegal material under the Online Safety Act.
The website Sanctioned Suicide, which Ofcom and BBC did not name due to the nature of its contents, is a forum where thousands of users discuss suicide, including methods, instructions and how to attain items to aid in the act.
The BBC report told the story of 17-year-old Vlad Nikolin-Caisley, who died last May. His parents believe he was influenced to take his own life by users of the online forum. They've asked Ofcom to ban the website.
"The sooner they take action, the sooner we stop deaths linked to this forum," said Graham, Nikolin-Caisley's father.
The BBC identified Lamarcus Small of Huntsville as the forum's creator. In 2023, BBC reporters waited for three days to confront Small, who they described as a "recluse" who "rarely comes out of his house." Small has claimed to be no longer involved with the website. Still, many families hold him responsible for hundreds of deaths worldwide, the BBC said.
A message was posted to the top of the forum Wednesday condemning Ofcom's investigation as "unprecedented overreach by a foreign regulator against a U.S.-based platform."
"We reject this interference and will be defending the site's existence and mission," the post read. "In addition to our public response, we are currently seeking legal representation to ensure the best possible defense in this matter."
The forum administrators have also rejected the claim that they are "pro-suicide." The website's written rules prohibit any encouragement or help in committing acts of self-harm or suicide. However, an administrator said in a post that the forum is "pro-choice" and believes that people should have the right to take their own life if they so choose.
"Being pro-suicide means you think suicide is the right answer to every problem, that you should commit suicide if you're thinking about it, without any second thoughts," the post stated. "And that's how we're framed. But that's just not true, we don't suggest to anyone what's the right decision, that in itself makes us pro-choice per definition. It's up to anyone in this forum to make their own decisions, we don't tell anyone what to do - that's explicitly drawn out in the rules."
Other posts on Wednesday's front page of the forum included a user announcing their decision to commit suicide by ingesting a poison. The post was met with many positive replies of encouragement.
The BBC said Ofcom's investigation could lead to "fines or court orders against those running the forum." However, it's unclear how that would be enforced on the American-based platform.
Anyone in Alabama struggling with thoughts of suicide can call 988 for assistance and support in a mental health crisis.
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