Andrew Walker, the coroner, said he did not "think it would be safe" to give suicide as her cause of death, instead opting for self-harm.

Giving his findings on Friday, he said: "Molly was at a transition period in her young life which made certain elements of communication difficult."

She was "exposed to material that may have influenced her in a negative way and, in addition, what had started as a depression had become a more serious depressive illness", he told North London Coroners Court.

The 14-year-old schoolgirl from Harrow, northwest London, was found dead in her bedroom after viewing content related to suicide, depression and anxiety online.

Since her death in November 2017, her father Ian has campaigned for better protections against potentially dangerous social media algorithms.

Mr Walker said the "particularly graphic" content she saw "romanticised acts of self-harm", "normalised her condition" and focused on a "limited and irrational view without any counterbalance of normality".

He said it "sought to isolate and discourage discussion" with people who could have helped her, and instead "tended to portray self-harm and suicide as an inevitable consequence of a condition that could not be recovered from".

Websites created 'binge periods'

Executives from Pinterest and Instagram's parent company Meta were forced to attend the inquest in person.

Judson Hoffman, a senior executive at Pinterest, apologised for some of the content Molly saw, admitting that when she used the site in 2017 it was "not safe".

He said the platform now uses artificial intelligence to remove such content.

Elizabeth Lagone, head of health and wellbeing policy at Meta, who owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, told the coroner some of the content Molly had viewed in the run-up to her death was "safe", while her family argued it was suicidal.

In a heated exchange, she said the issue of removing suicidal or self-harm content was "nuanced and complicated" and that it is "important to give people that voice" if they experience those feelings.

Declaring his findings, Mr Walker concluded some of the sites Molly viewed "were not safe as they allowed access to adult content that should not have been available for a 14-year-old child to see".

He described algorithms that resulted in "binge periods of images, video clips and text, some of which were selected and provided without Molly requesting them".

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, said the inquest should force social media companies to "get a moral compass and step up".

The coroner also heard evidence from Molly's family, teachers and a child psychiatrist, who said he had struggled to sleep for "a few weeks" after inspecting the content she had seen.

Molly's father insists 'there is always hope'

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Russell said: "In the last week we've heard much about one tragic story - Molly's story.

"Sadly there are too many others similarly affected right now. At this point I just want to say however dark it seems, there is always hope.

"If you're struggling, please speak to someone you trust or one of the many wonderful support organisations rather than engage with content online that may be harmful.

"Please do what you can to live long and stay strong."

The conclusion of the inquest comes during the final stages of the Online Safety Bill, which is due to return to parliament soon.

If passed, the new legislation will impose a duty of care on tech companies to protect their users from harmful content or face fines.

It falls short of Mr Russell's suggestion that individuals should be prosecuted in cases like his daughter's.

He also believes there is no "no-risk option" and that children as young as 13 should not be allowed on social media sites.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Alternatively, letters can be mailed to: Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS.