16-year-old girl kills herself after posting a poll that asked her Instagram followers to help her choose life or death

A 16-year-old Instagram user in Malaysia reportedly died by suicide after sharing an Instagram poll asking her followers to help her choose life or death, according to a report from the Guardian .  

According to local police in Mayalsia’s Padawan district, more than 69% of the girl’s followers voted for her to kill herself. The teen reportedly posted the poll to Instagram at about 3 p.m. on May 13 with a caption that reads; “Really Important, Help Me Choose D/L” and about five hours later, she was found dead, MalayMail reports.

Local officials have questioned whether the people who voted in the poll could be culpable in her death. Abetting the suicide of a minor is a crime in Malaysia and those found guilty can face the death penalty or up to 20 years in prison.  

Ramkarpal Singh, a lawyer and member of Malaysia’s parliament, requested that authorities investigate the circumstances leading to the teen’s death. “Would the girl still be alive today if the majority of netizens on her Instagram account discouraged her from taking her own life?” he said in a statement to Reuters. “Would she have heeded the advice of netizens to seek professional help had they done so?”  

Ching Yee Wong, head of communications for Instagram APAC, provided the following statement to Business Insider in response to the 16-year-old’s death:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this young woman’s family. We have a deep responsibility to make sure people using Instagram feel safe and supported. As part of our own efforts, we urge everyone to use our reporting tools and to contact emergency services if they see any behavior that puts people’s safety at risk.”