Dangerous Web sites threaten users

When I was in the seventh grade, my family got our first computer. It was a high-tech gizmo with eight megs of RAM and a 28K dial-up modem that connected me to a brave new world of AOL chat rooms, e-mail and Web sites. Going online was like stepping into a realm of endless possibilities.

These days, the Internet still offers possibilities, but some of them are troubling. New Web sites advocate eating disorders and suicide, giving anorexics suggestions for further starvation and offering depressed individuals ideas for suicide methods. Pro-eating disorder sites, often called "pro-ana" (for anorexia) or "pro-mia" (for bulimia), number in the thousands. They provide exercise plans, menu guides, "thinspirational" photos of emaciated women and tips on fasting successfully and hiding an eating disorder from parents. Pro-suicide sites include information on topics such as overcoming "the desire to go on living" and concealing suicidal intent from friends and family. They also include extensive information on suicide methods, such as advice on obtaining pills and suggested cord lengths for self-hanging.

These sites cause real harm. Doug Bunnell, president of the National Eating Disorders Association, explained in The Washington Post that pro-eating disorder Web sites "continue to proliferate and I can tell you that they do represent a danger to patients with eating disorders and to people who are vulnerable to developing them." The sites attract girls as young as 11. Eating disorders are fatal in about 10 percent of victims.

Pro-suicide sites have been linked to numerous deaths. On Sept. 30, 1992, Dave Conibear, a recent graduate of Carleton University in Canada, went to his favorite pro-suicide newsgroup to post a farewell note, in which he described his imminent plan to poison himself using techniques he had learned online. The next day, he was found dead. In another case, Julie Veteto, a 20-year-old woman with a history of depression, hanged herself in 2001. When she was found dead in her home, a pro-suicide Web site with self-hanging instructions was still displayed on her computer screen.

It is important to note that these sites are not akin to organizations that promote extreme diets or "end-of-life choice" for terminally ill patients. Weight-loss groups and life choice organizations have quickly distanced themselves. Paul Spiers of End-of-Life Choices explained in an interview with CNN, "We absolutely disapprove of this kind of information. ... The danger is self-evident." In fact, the deadly Web sites are fundamentally different in that, under the pretext of "acceptance," they specifically encourage fatal behaviors in individuals whose mental illnesses make them particularly vulnerable.

The Web sites promote their goals openly. Pro-eating disorder sites include sections devoted to "triggers," usually consisting of photos and stories to encourage people to undertake more severe self-starvation. Pro-suicide Web sites are equally blatant. "We hope people that read this will one day attempt suicide," one states, before offering extensive suggestions about methods.

At first glance, these Web sites might seem to be protected by the First Amendment, which defends free speech. However, at best, the legal situation is vague. There are numerous precedents in which free speech has been limited for the common good, as noted by Annie Fisher of the Philadelphia Public Defenders Association. In 1969, Brandenburg v. Ohio indicated that free speech could be limited if it was intended to cause imminent, likely illegal action. And although suicide is legal in some states, and eating disorders are legal everywhere, later interpretations of Brandenburg indicated its application could include any speech intended to cause imminent, likely harm. Even more importantly, assisted-suicide laws prohibit aiding or soliciting someone to commit suicide. Moreover, under federal reckless endangerment statutes, it is illegal to "recklessly engage in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person."

All these precedents provide ample reason to make pro-eating disorder and pro-suicide Web sites illegal. Unfortunately, our laws haven't caught up with the times. When current statutes struggle to regulate a new medium such as the Internet, it is tempting just to leave it unregulated. Unfortunately, that's a lazy response we cannot afford. Although Web site providers like America Online and GeoCities refuse to sponsor these sites, they flourish on private servers.

The issue will probably be decided by the courts, and several pending cases against pro-suicide Web sites may provide opportunities for these decisions. However, it is wrong to have to wait for an appropriate fatality before shutting down the sites.

In the meantime, more than 30 suicides have been traced to the newsgroup David Conibear frequented. In pro-suicide Web site circles, Conibear was admired. Among his real-life friends, however, the reaction was different. "On Friday, October 2, 1992, members of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics were shocked to learn of the unexpected death of David Q. Conibear," his college newspaper stated. "David was one of the most talented students to graduate from the department. ... But for many of us it will be David's wit, intelligence, and helpfulness that will be remembered for a long time. He will be sorely missed."

Jennifer Weiss is a senior Linguistics and Theatre Arts major from Los Angeles. War On Error appears on Wednesdays.

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