UP Police, Meta help prevent 457 suicides in 1.5 yrs

Lucknow, June 20: A collaboration between Meta, the company which owns social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and the Uttar Pradesh Police has prevented a total of 457 people from committing suicide during nearly 1.5 years, an official statement said.

According to an official statement, the Uttar Pradesh Police highlighted their swift response to suicide-related posts on social media platforms, aided by information from Meta Company.

From January 1, 2023, to June 15, 2024, they informed victims and their families promptly, effectively preventing suicides through direct communication.

Under this system, whenever a suicide-related post appears on Facebook or Instagram, Meta Company headquarters immediately alerts the police social media centre via phone and email.

The headquarters' Social Media Centre, operating 24x7, acts swiftly upon receiving these alerts.

Integrated with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force server, it identifies the post's author's location and forwards the case to 'UP-112' and the relevant district for immediate action.

'UP-112' or local police then reach out to the victim and their family using the location provided by Meta.

During the period from January 1, 2023, to June 15, 2024, the Social Media Centre received nearly 740 alerts from Meta Company, resulting in the saving of 457 lives.

In other instances, challenges such as unclear or densely populated locations, cases originating from other states, or phones being switched off, prevented local police from reaching the victim.