Ban social media giants in UK if they do not cut back harms, bereaved mother and father say
Politicians must tell social media giants they cannot operate in the UK if they do not reduce their online harms, the mum of Brianna Ghey and the dad of Molly Russell have demanded.
Along with other bereaved parents, they on Wednesday warn all political parties to take the opportunity of the election campaign to “re-commit to the importance of online safety regulation”. The group has called for stronger regulation of app stores to ensure underage kids can’t download apps they’re not old enough to access.
Esther Ghey’s 16-year-old daughter Brianna was murdered after one of her killers viewed violent material on the dark web, while Ian Russell’s 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life after being bombarded with harmful material on social media.
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In a letter to party leaders, including Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, the parents write: “We owe our children nothing less than to protect them from the risks of the online world, but also empower and equip them to safely enjoy its benefits.
“The next Government must therefore seize the initiative and demonstrate it will act on the challenges posed by social media decisively, responsibly and in an evidence-based way. We owe our children nothing less than to protect them from the risks of the online world, but also empower and equip them to safely enjoy its benefits.”
Labour last week promised grieving parents will be allowed to access their childrens’ social media under new laws if it wins the election. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper vowed to change the law as quickly as possible so parents whose children die would be able to see if they had accessed harmful content online.
Tory Health Secretary Victoria Atkins also said she had “enormous sympathy” for the families and if it was her decision alone it would be a “big yes” for the Tories’ election manifesto. But the Tory manifesto, published on Tuesday, only included one commitment to online safety. They pledged to introduce a full statutory ban on mobile phones in schools in a bid to strengthen the current guidance.
