Twitter restores suicide-prevention hotline feature after outcry

Twitter has restored a feature that promoted suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking up certain content, after coming under pressure from users and consumer safety groups.

The feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, placed a banner at the top of search results for certain topics, listing contacts for support organizations in many countries related to mental health, HIV, vaccines, child sexual exploitation, Covid-19, gender-based violence, natural disasters and freedom of expression.

Nonetheless, the report appeared at the start of the Christmas holiday, a fraught time for many, prompting widespread concern. The anonymous sources cited by Reuters said millions had encountered #ThereIsHelp messages on Twitter.

Online services including Twitter, Google and Facebook have for years tried to direct users to resources such as government hotlines if they suspect a user may be in danger.

But Musk has reduced teams involved in dealing with difficult material and observers have said self-harm content is thriving, despite a de facto ban.