Lauren Cowell is urging Sir Keir Starmer to meet up with bereaved families whose children have died as a result of harmful social media content as she ramps up her campaign
Lauren Cowell is demanding Sir Keir Starmer meet with bereaved families whose children have died as a result of harmful social media content. The 48-year-old has urged the Prime Minister “to do the right thing and look them in the eyes” as she ramps up a campaign to ban kids from accessing dangerous material.
She is incensed that more than 20 days after a letter was hand-delivered to Downing Street asking for a meeting with the PM, the bereaved families are yet to hear from him. She said: “Every day is another day of silence. Why won’t the Prime Minister meet with these families? The only conclusion I can draw is that he cannot look these families in the eye and promise to do the right thing because the Government is still too worried about protecting the interests of the tech companies.”
Lauren, the partner of Britain’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell, is today piling pressure on Sir Keir by launching a “Meet the Parents” drive on social media. Speaking to the Mirror, Lauren said she is baffled by the PM’s inaction. She said: “Sir Keir has never responded personally to any of their emails or letters. He has basically blanked them or palmed them off to someone else to respond. All they want is the chance to tell their stories, talk about the children they’ve lost and explain why urgent action is needed. Instead, he has flat out avoided it.”
Lauren has previously teamed up with Ellen Roome, whose son Jools died after seemingly copying a deadly challenge shown on TikTok. Ellen is one of the parents behind the Raise The Age campaign, which wants the minimum age for social media access raised from 13 to 16. The policy was initially opposed by the UK Government, but last month ministers finally agreed to introduce stronger controls on what young people can and cannot do online.
Lauren now wants to keep pressure on the Government while the consultation phase – which ends on May 26 – is completed, and to ensure meaningful action is actually taken. She said: “The Government made us a promise last month – that they would impose age or functionality restrictions at 16. They have said the consultation will be used to work out the details. But the consultation is mind boggling. It asks parents to answer up to 62 questions. Who has time for that? That’s why I’ve worked with the Raise The Age campaign to create a simple tool that takes just 60 seconds to respond to the consultation. “If you want to tell the Government to keep their promise, head to raisetheage.org.uk and do so. I can’t be any clearer. This is not the time for weak compromises or watered-down measures at the end of the consultation. This is a time for action. We will accept nothing less than what has been promised. No ifs, no buts.”
In a hard-hitting post on her socials, Lauren says: “On 25th April, a group of bereaved parents sent a letter to 10 Downing Street. These families have all lost children to social media related harm. They asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister. To share their stories. To be seen. To be heard. To ask the government to take immediate action to protect children online. 22 days later. Still no reply. Still no meeting. Instead the Prime Minister met with the tech companies. His continued silence in response to the letter is unacceptable and speaks volumes about the disregard for accountability. On 27th April, the Government gave a binding commitment. To raise the age for harmful social media features to 16. Their consultation ends on 26th May. They must deliver on that promise, no ifs, ands, or buts. We will not accept anything less. #meettheparents #raisetheage.”
Lauren previously told the Mirror how she was left shocked after her 12-year-old son Eric downloaded Snapchat. In the end, she agreed to allow him a “brick” phone instead with no apps.But it sparked a debate between Lauren and Simon about the dangers of social media, prompting them to meet Ellen. They were so moved by her story that they felt compelled to act. Learning about the addictive nature of the apps was an eye-opener for Lauren, who said she was particularly struck by landmark US court cases in Los Angeles and New Mexico involving Meta and YouTube over the alleged exposure of children to harmful content. She said: “What has shocked me most is learning just how much these companies appear to know about the harms and dangers on their platforms, yet these features and algorithms continue to exist. It genuinely feels like Big Tobacco all over again — years of denial, delay and profit before children’s safety. I believe the internal emails, documents and evidence emerging through these court cases should be made public so every parent can see exactly what these companies knew, when they knew it, and what they continued to allow despite the risks to children. Parents deserve the truth.”
She has previously told the Mirror: “These platforms are designed to keep children engaged for as long as possible. And very quickly, what starts out as something innocent can escalate into something far more harmful.”