by Max Meads, reporter

Instagram has begun implementing a new initiative that will see all images of self-harm and those glorifying suicide or self-harm removed from their website.

The move from the social media giant has come after a large public outcry for more safety measure on the website, after it was directly linked to a teenager’s suicide in 2017.

Molly Russell was only 14 years old when she took her own life two years ago, and upon investigation of her Instagram account it was revealed that she had posted and interacted with a large number of images glorifying self-harm and suicide.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri met with Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday, and admitted that not enough had been done on Instagram’s end to safeguard people from these types of images.

Instagram’s algorithms currently show a pop-up if you search potentially dangerous hashtags, such as #selfharm and #suicide, offering you help and contact information for organisations that can help.

However, many have said that this is not enough, as these popups and notifications are easily ignored or dismissed.

Mr Mosseri reiterated that some self-harm images would be allowed to remain on Instagram, however, if they were not glamourising or promoting it.

“I might have an image of a scar and say, ‘I’m 30 days clean’ and that’s an important way to tell my story, for example,” Mosseri said.

Instagram in the past has been the subject of concern from many corners of the mental health community, especially due to the ‘thinspiration’ hashtag on the site, encouraging users to not eat and develop anorexia. This hashtag has since been banned.