Managers at Ask.fm have announced the introduction of safety measures following public alarm over online bullying on the social network, which enables users to quiz each other about their lives. On 2 August, 14-year-old Hannah Smith was found hanged at her home in Lutterworth, Leicestershire to the horror of her family. Subsequent media reports suggested that she had committed suicide after a spate of bullying on Ask.fm.
The new measures follow widespread revulsion in the online community over the site’s initial reaction to the reports. Last week, Hannah’s father David Smith accused Ask.fm co-founder Mark Terebin of “dancing on her grave”, after he tweeted a photo of himself in a motorcycle helmet while using his laptop – indicating that he was simply content to bunker down in the face of the media storm. Ask.fm also attempted to avert negative media attention by bragging that it had received a record number of users following the teenager’s suicide, with membership rising to 70 million people.
As a result of the controversy, well-known British companies such as Specsavers, Vodafone and Laura Ashley removed advertising from Ask.fm, prompting its management to make significant changes to provide greater protection for its users. The site has now agreed to:
1. Appoint a safety officer to moderate comments and hire extra staff to sift user-generated content.
2. Introduce a “bullying” category for reported posts.
3. Make it easier for users to opt out of receiving anonymous questions.
4. Restrict the areas of the site accessible to unregistered users.
Despite being in its relative infancy compared to Facebook, Ask.fm has an estimated advertising revenue of around £6 million to protect – and as such has been forced to learn how to act more professionally amid such tragic circumstances. In addition to the four key measures, the Latvian firm’s bosses have pledged to review each complaint within 24 hours.
Described as “too late, but not too little” by David Smith during a BBC interview, Ask.fm’s changes have been welcomed by the majority of watchdogs. John Carr, secretary of the UK Children’s Charities’ Coalition on Internet Safety – who advises the UK government on child protection – said: “The number of moderators they employ will be crucial as well as how fast they can be trained. But the measures they’ve announced definitely show they got the message and are moving in the right direction.”
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