WASHINGTON (Sputnik) —The release explained that a "person who searches certain words on Google that indicate a desire to cause himself or herself harm will automatically be shown ads offering help."
Service members who recognize the signs of suicide risk can be just as responsive as the algorithms on social media and possibly more supportive, the release noted.
In the first three quarters of fiscal 2016, more than 200 US Army soldiers committed suicide, according to the Defense Suicide Prevention Office.
At a the recent symposium, Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning noted the widespread use of social media by soldiers and former soldiers, while appealing to representatives from Facebook, LinkedIn, Google and Apple for help in cutting suicide rates.
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