Facebook recently announced in a blog post that it would be taking some measures on its platform to help prevent suicide. Someone commits suicide once every 40 seconds in the world and it’s the leading cause of death among people aged between 15 and 29. There have also been reports of cases where people have live-streamed their final moments on the social media platform.

Facebook believes it’s in a unique position to help as it’s on the social network that people who are likely to care for a distressed individual are to be found. The company wants to do some good and create a safer community both online and offline.

What Facebook is going to do is to let its AI spot anyone who may be thinking of suicide, going by posts that reveal the tendency towards suicidal thinking or intense depression. Facebook will kick in with support on Facebook Live, their instant streaming tool. There will be live support chat from crisis organisations via Messenger. Facebook says they already have teams working 24/7, who review reports users make about anyone they think is expressing suicidal thoughts.

Users whose live streams may point to depression or suicidal tendencies will get notified of suicide prevention measures while they are on air. Other users can also report such live videos and they will also get resources to help the person in question.