The mother of a British teenager who allegedly died after attempting a dangerous online challenge has criticised the UK government for moving too slowly on plans to restrict children’s access to social media, saying ministers are “kicking it down the road”.Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in 2022, is among a group of bereaved parents set to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday, as a national consultation on a possible social media ban for under-16s nears its conclusion.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Roome urged the government to take strict action immediately.“Come on, get a grip, let’s actually stand up, do something, make a decision,” she said, according to The Guardian.“I don’t care if they take it away for adults and children until it’s safe, just take it away, fix it, and then we can give it back.”
‘Make platforms safe first’
Roome argued that tech companies should be forced to prioritise child safety over engagement-driven algorithms and addictive platform design.“They spend millions and billions of pounds on making their system. They could spend some money on actually fixing their system and say this is now a safe product,” she said, as quoted by The Guardian.The UK government is currently considering measures similar to those introduced in Australia, where social media access for under-16s has been restricted.Proposals reportedly under discussion include age limits on livestreaming, location sharing and infinite scrolling, as well as restrictions on personalised algorithms and mandatory screen curfews.
Wes Streeting compares social media to tobacco
Former UK health secretary Wes Streeting also backed stricter regulation, comparing social media platforms to the tobacco industry in remarks to The Guardian.Speaking on the BBC programme, Streeting accused tech companies of knowingly designing addictive products for children.“They know that it is harmful, and the business model is orientated towards getting kids while they’re young,” he said, according to The Guardian.He added that there was growing evidence linking excessive social media use to poor sleep, reduced concentration, mental health concerns and declining wellbeing among children.Streeting also claimed he had repeatedly pushed for stronger regulation while serving in government, saying he can now speak more openly after leaving cabinet.
TikTok lawsuit in US court
Roome has also joined legal action against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in the United States. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware by the Social Media Victims Law Centre, alleges that several British children, including Jools Sweeney, Archie Battersbee, Isaac Kenevan, Noah Gibson and Maia Walsh, died while attempting the so-called “blackout challenge”, which encourages users to choke themselves until losing consciousness.The families are seeking access to platform data they believe could reveal what content the children were exposed to before their deaths.Speaking earlier from the US, Roome questioned why social media firms were reluctant to hand over information.“Algorithms feed our children harmful material, and we want to see what they were actually watching,” she said.She added that the campaign was about “accountability” and ensuring tech companies are “held responsible for the harm caused on their platforms”.
TikTok denies wrongdoing
TikTok has sought dismissal of the lawsuit, arguing that US entities being sued do not operate the platform in the UK and that American free speech protections shield the company from liability over third-party content.A TikTok spokesperson expressed sympathy for the families while defending the platform’s moderation systems.“We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behaviour,” the company said, adding that 99% of harmful content violating its rules is removed before being reported.The company also said the alleged “blackout challenge” had been blocked on the platform since 2020.
Push for ‘Jools’ law’
Since her son’s death, Roome has become a prominent campaigner for “Jools’ Law” — a proposal aimed at giving parents the legal right to access their deceased child’s social media data without requiring a court order.She has reportedly sold the financial business she ran for nearly two decades to focus on the campaign full-time.