Social media algorithms exposed teenager to suicide-related content before death
A 13-year-old from Kent died by suicide in October 2024. After her death, her family discovered she had been repeatedly exposed to disturbing content through social media recommendation algorithms. The family has advocated for stricter regulation of social media access for minors.
What happened
Blake Gallier, a 13-year-old from Northfleet, Kent, died on October 30, 2024. She had taken her own life.
After her death, her family discovered via her phone that she had been viewing disturbing content online that had been recommended to her through social media algorithms. Her sister Tayla stated: 'When we got her phone back, we saw how many disturbing videos she was seeing. It only takes one bad night, and you like something you relate to, and then that is all the algorithm shows you.'
Reported impact
The family reported that the teenager was seeing videos normalising suicide. Her sister noted: 'They are seeing videos normalising ending your life. I do not think young people can fully comprehend what ending their own life means at that age.'
The family stated they were completely unaware of the content Blake was viewing online before her death, and her sister concluded: 'We were completely unaware of the things that she was seeing online. It made it very apparent that no young person should be on social media seeing those things.'
Governance controls
The family has since supported the Raise The Age campaign to introduce a ban on social media for under-16s. Blake's mother and sister have established a charity called Blake's Pink Promise to support other families and fund counselling in schools.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.