Social media ban 'fantastic' says bereaved mum

A bereaved mother who has campaigned for changes to social media following her son's death has described a government ban for under-16s as "fantastic".

Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X are among the platforms set to be banned for under-16s by spring 2027, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced.

Ellen Roome, from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, believes her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in an online challenge gone wrong in 2022.

"Maybe [the ban] won't be perfect, but if we're protecting some kids, that's better than none and hopefully we can improve things as we go along," Roome said.

"I actually think it's really good news. We've been waiting for so long, they're actually stepping up and doing something and making some changes."

She added: "The devil's gonna be in the detail for how this actually happens."

Roome said she wanted reassurances new platforms will be monitored in the future.

"We need to be making sure we're not just naming 10 platforms, that we are looking at specific features," she said.

"What happens if some other company pops up? We need to make sure we can control new, developing products that come out so were trying to stay one step ahead."

Roome said the next generation needed to be re-educated about social media, both in schools and by their parents.

"We've got to educate on why this is happening, and the harm that is there," she said.

"Just as we educate children in an offline world, it's no different, we just need to teach them about online and why this is happening and it's actually doing it to protect them."

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the ban was a "bold" step towards "creating a safer, healthier life online" for children.

"Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents' hands," she added.

"My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life," she said. "That is what these regulations will deliver."

YouTube and Snapchat are so far the only social media firms to respond to the government's announcement.

A Snapchat spokesperson said a ban on its platform could push young people onto "less safe platforms" while YouTube said it was a "vital resource" for young people, educators and parents.

"Blanket bans push kids out of such curated, supervised, beneficial experiences and towards anonymous, less safe services," the YouTube spokesperson added.

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