Created in consultation with British charity Samaritans, the
tool will allow users to report content to Facebook or reach out to their
friends.
"We worked with organisations including Samaritans to
develop these tools, and one of the first things they told us was how much
connecting with people who care can help those who are struggling to cope -
whether offline or online," said Julie De Bailliencourt, head of safety at
Facebook.
Facebook and Samaritans have collaborated on a suicide
prevention feature since 2011.
If a person on Facebook thinks a friend is in need of
support, then they can use a form in Facebook's Help Centre to flag their
concern to Facebook or report their concern via the reporting links found
across Facebook's site.
Reports to Facebook are triaged and those reported that
where someone may be at risk are prioritised.
"If someone is reported to us, as at risk of suicide,
Facebook's safety team will look at their account. If they consider that a
person is at risk of immediate harm then we may, in very rare cases, alert
local police," Samaritans wrote on its website.
"If we don't consider that someone is at immediate risk
but is showing signs of distress then we will interrupt their Facebook
experience. At this time we will send them a message to say that a friend has
flagged that they may be in crisis and offer them information about how to get
help via Samaritans," it further added.
If you report worrying content, users will be sent a
notification asking them whether they need support from a friend or helpline,
and will be given tips and advice on how to deal with suicidal thoughts or
thoughts of self harm.
"Those who report explicit threats of suicide will be
given the number for emergency services, while less serious content will be
flagged to Facebook," the charity noted.
In 2014, the charity launched an initiative with Twitter which
flagged "worrying tweets" to the service but was withdrawn later.
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