Esther Ghey, mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, has called for a ban on social media access for children under 16, a proposal backed by Labour MP Charlotte Nichols. Ghey argues that parents cannot be expected to monitor their children's online activity around the clock, and that technology firms must take greater responsibility for safeguarding.
Brianna, 16, was lured to a park in Warrington and stabbed to death in February 2023 by two teenagers who had planned the killing using a messaging app. The killers had a fascination with violence and torture, and had accessed violent content online. Ghey wants mobile phones for under-16s to be stripped of social media apps, with software that flags inappropriate searches to parents.
Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols told BBC Radio Manchester that a balance is needed, as social media companies currently do not take sufficient responsibility. She compared age-specific bans online to those for cigarettes, alcohol, and cinema classifications, and noted that the Online Safety Act took too long to pass.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declined to comment on whether the government would consider Ghey's proposal, but pointed to the new powers under the Online Safety Act, which requires social media companies to protect children from harmful content. The Act, passed in November, allows for large fines against non-compliant firms.
