Leading adviser quits over Instagram’s failure to remove self-harm content

Rubæk says: ‘On the surface it seems like they care, but behind the scenes there’s another agenda.’ Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

A leading psychologist who advises Meta on suicide prevention and self-harm has quit her role, accusing the tech giant of “turning a blind eye” to harmful content on Instagram, repeatedly ignoring expert advice and prioritising profit over lives.

Lotte Rubæk, who has been on Meta’s global expert group for more than three years, told the Observer that the tech giant’s ongoing failure to remove images of self-harm from its platforms is “triggering” vulnerable young women and girls to further harm themselves and contributing to rising suicide figures.