Mother of boy who may have died in TikTok challenge urges No 10 to ban social media

Ellen Roome, whose son, Jools Sweeney, was 14 when he died, wants a ban put in place for under-16s

Mother of boy who may have died in TikTok challenge urges No 10 to ban social media

TL;DR

  • Ellen Roome, mother of Jools Sweeney, advocates for a social media ban until platforms are safe.
  • A consultation on a possible social media ban for children is closing this week.
  • Anna Turley, Labour party chair, emphasizes the need for legislation to protect children from evolving technology.
  • Wes Streeting compares social media to tobacco and blames tech companies for addictive design features.
  • Evidence from Australia's ban on social media for under-16s suggests it prevents harm.
  • Potential measures include age limits on features like livestreaming and infinite scrolling, curbs on personalized algorithms, and mandatory screen curfews.