Legality of the site

[shiba]

Sorry if this is a repeated or annoying question, and this is not a critique of the site at all, I'm just interested in the legal specifics. I'm not too familiar with the legality when talking about suicide, but as deaths are sometimes linked to this site causing an investigation, the next step could be identifying a direct "accomplice" to a suicide. I use that term loosely because people provide information and discussion about suicide, and it's protected under free speech, but there exists a line where you're "encouraging" suicide and I'm interested in where that falls. For example there are multiple threads that describe in great detail methods of suicide. These threads are protected under freedom of speech, but then if a death was linked to this site and that person was "encouraged" by a user, then a warrant could be theoretically used to target another user. Is that something that has happened from this site? What is the difference between discussing methods of suicide and maliciously providing advice?

 

[BradGuy123]

I'm had the same thought. I'm not a lawyer. But I think the legality of the site would depend on where the servers were located. Some countries probably have more liberal free speech laws than others.

Let's say someone did CTB and their family came across the site, could they get some kind of court order to identify the IP addresses of people who replied to their posts about CTB? I have no idea. That's one of the reasons I never provide instructions or encouragement telling someone to CTB. I do try to provide emotional support and engaging conversation. Of course, I'm very new here.

 

[amerie]

I'm had the same thought. I'm not a lawyer. But I think the legality of the site would depend on where the servers were located. Some countries probably have more liberal free speech laws than others.

Let's say someone did CTB and their family came across the site, could they get some kind of court order to identify the IP addresses of people who replied to their posts about CTB? I have no idea. That's one of the reasons I never provide instructions or encouragement telling someone to CTB. I do try to provide emotional support and engaging conversation. Of course, I'm very new here.

The only thing I do is tell people NOT to do a method if it's ineffective and I think others should do the same

 

[WhatCouldHaveBeen32]

There have been people who have tried to do that to users who didn't encourage suicide , just talked to the person who eventually died, however it usually leads nowhere because me talking to someone online about problems that are hushed in society and hearing their thoughts doesn't mean I'm responsible just as they aren't responsible for what happens to me.

The site also has mods, you can't encourage death or suicide. The site is pro-choice , it gives you resources, which are documented and legal information, that have been written in books and manuscripts and articles since their conception. It's not some boogeyman illegal information, it just usually gets banned along side the actual harmful information on the "normal internet" because there would be backlash from people that have different views than ours and from religious people , etc.

It can be illegal to distribute certain materials that the methods demand or to own some of them, you can learn if it's a good method or a bad method and the legality or illegality of it and the risks that come with it which is something very important, the last thing you want as a suicidal person is to end up in jail for a couple of years by accident.

People who come here usually want to find out what is the least painful and most accurate method so they don't end up cripples or vegetables or in prison depending on what kind of substances you need.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

I mean this site was created in 2018 (with predecessors from way back) and has persisted since then despite a lot of challenges. No one who has followed the rules has ever been prosecuted. If someone had that would have changed the way the forum works significantly.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think I read somewhere that there is a time sensitivity issue. So- generally talking about suicide, especially the specifics of a method is far worse if the advice is live as in- I'm taking my own life right now. Can someone talk me through it?

I'm also nervous about where the lines blur though. But then, I'm not knowledgable enough on methods to even be all that useful advice- wise anyway. It's perfectly possible to use the site without going anywhere near discussing methods though.

I imagine how we phrase things makes a difference too- 'I've heard this', or, 'I'm considering this' is different to: 'I think you should try this.'

I tend to wonder if sharing sources could be dodgy. As in- could that person have obtained the (lethal) substance without knowing that source? I think that's in part, why people are so nervous around sharing sources.

 

[Apathy79]

You have to be pretty specific to be legally liable. Posting step by step guides is fine. But if someone is trying to hang themselves right now and it's not quite working and you're trouble shooting them through it while watching their live stream - "no you need to pull it down to this part of your neck and lean this way. That's it. All the best!" That's when you might get in trouble.