In the wake of a Rutgers University student's suicide, YouTube on Wednesday spoke out against Internet harassment, and urged users to think carefully about their online responsibilities.
"Let us be clear: Intolerance is not OK. We will not stand by and allow for egregious violations of user privacy to threaten a vibrant and creative online community," YouTube wrote in a blog post. "YouTube will always prioritize the safety of our users. We encourage you to reach out and let us know if you or someone you know is in need of help."
The post comes several weeks after Rutgers student Tyler Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge after his roommate used a Webcam to broadcast Clementi's sexual encounter with another man. The roommate and another friend have been charged with invasion of privacy and could face up to five years in prison, according to the AP.
"We understand that the Internet can be a very tough place to navigate, and we want you to know that you are not alone in dealing with issues of privacy and harassment," YouTube said.
The company pointed users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) and its own Help & Safety Center. It also urged them to check out the "It Gets Better Project," an effort spearheaded by The Trevor Project intended to reach out to struggling gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, and questioning teens.
The Trevor Project, named after a 13-year-old gay boy who tried to take his own life after his friends rejected him, has produced short videos from a number of celebrities – including Glee's Chris Colfer, Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe, Anne Hathaway, Jenny McCarthy, Project Runway's Tim Gunn, and Zachary Quinto – all of whom urge teens to keep going because "it gets better."
In his own video, Gunn revealed that he tried to take his own life at age 17 by taking more than 100 pills. "I'm very happy today that that attempt was unsuccessful, but at the time it was all that I could contemplate," he said.
"We hope you take some time to think carefully about your responsibilities to yourselves and to the online community as you continue to use YouTube and other social media Web sites," YouTube concluded. "Remember that public videos can have many unintended consequences - as a result, we encourage you to consider the possible effects your videos and comments may have on the people around you."
The AP said it found at least 12 cases since 2003 of young teens killing themselves after enduring some form of cyberbullying. That includes Megan Meier, a 13-year-old who killed herself after a friend's mom posed as a teen boy on MySpace, pretended to be interested in Megan, and then "dumped" her.