‘Take it away’: Mother of teen who died over alleged TikTok challenge urges UK government to ban social media

The mother of a British teenager who allegedly died after trying a dangerous online challenge has criticized the UK government for moving too slowly on plans to restrict children’s use of social media, saying ministers are “dragging the plan”.Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in 2022, was among a group of bereaved parents who met Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday as a national consultation on a possible ban on social media for under-16s draws to a close.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Roome urged the government to take strict and immediate action.“Come on, let’s take a moment and let’s actually stand up, do something and 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 to you.”

“Make sure the platform is secure first”

Roome believes tech companies should be forced to prioritize child safety over engagement-driven algorithms and addictive platform designs.“They spend millions and billions of pounds to make their systems. They can spend some money to actually fix their systems and say it’s now a safe product,” she was quoted as saying by The Guardian.The British government is currently considering similar measures to Australia, which restricts the use of social media by under-16s.Proposals reportedly being discussed include age restrictions for live streaming, location sharing and infinite scrolling, as well as limits on personalization algorithms and enforced screen curfews.

Wes Streeting compares social media to tobacco

Former UK health secretary Wes Streeting also supports tighter regulation, comparing social media platforms to the tobacco industry in a speech to The Guardian.Speaking on the BBC programme, Streeting accused technology companies of deliberately designing addictive products for children.“They know it’s harmful and that the business model is to have children while they’re still young,” he said, according to The Guardian.He added that there was growing evidence linking excessive use of social media to poor sleep quality, poor concentration, mental health problems and reduced well-being in children.Streeting also claimed he had repeatedly pushed for greater regulation during his time in government and said he could now speak more publicly after leaving cabinet.

TikTok files lawsuit in US court

Roome has also joined legal action in the United States against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware by the Social Media Victims Legal Center, alleges that several British children, including Joels Sweeney, Archie Battersby, Isaac Kenevan, Noah Gibson and Maia Walsh, died while attempting the so-called “blackout challenge,” which encouraged users to strangle themselves until they lost consciousness.The families are seeking access to platform data they believe could reveal content the children were exposed to before their deaths.Speaking in the United States earlier, Roum questioned why social media companies were reluctant to disclose information.“Algorithms are feeding our children harmful content, and we want to see what they’re actually watching,” she said.She added that the purpose of the campaign is “accountability” and ensuring tech companies are “responsible for the harm caused by their platforms.”

TikTok denies wrongdoing

TikTok seeks to have the lawsuit dismissed, arguing that the US entity being sued does not operate the platform in the UK and that US free speech protections shield the company from liability for third-party content.A TikTok spokesperson expressed sympathy for the families while defending the platform’s moderation system.“We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behavior,” the company said, adding that 99% of harmful content that violates its rules is removed before being reported.The company also said that so-called “blackout challenges” have been blocked on the platform since 2020.

Promote the “Joles Law”

Since her son’s death, Lum has become a prominent campaigner for “Joles’ Law,” a bill that would give parents the legal right to access their deceased children’s social media data without a court order.She has reportedly sold her finance business of nearly two decades to focus on her campaign full-time.