Prime Minister Keir Starmer is poised to announce a ban on social media for under-16s, including platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, following a three-month government consultation. However, Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, has issued a final warning urging him to reconsider.
Research Reveals Persistent Harmful Content
New research from the Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) shows that young girls are still being exposed to suicide and self-harm content despite the Online Safety Act coming into force last summer. Polling released to The Mirror indicates that half (47%) of girls and a third of all teens aged 13 to 17 encountered high-risk suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content within a single week in April. Only slightly fewer teens see harmful content now (34%) than before the Act (37%), raising concerns about the effectiveness of current regulations.
Ian Russell's Plea for Targeted Action
Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 after being bombarded with harmful online content, has long opposed a blanket ban. He told The Mirror: “It's just desperately disappointing that young people in this country, instead of change happening and a safe digital space for them to grow up in, what will be left behind is the same dangerous digital landscape.” He warned that children will find ways around a ban, as seen in Australia, making it potentially more dangerous. He accused Starmer of taking the “politically easy option” rather than addressing the problem at its source.
Government Plans Go Further Than Australia
The Mirror understands that the UK government’s ban will exceed Australia’s, including restrictions on design features and overnight curfews for 16- and 17-year-olds, and will extend to gaming platforms. Australia banned social media for under-16s in December, but MRF polling shows 61% of Australian 12- to 15-year-olds still access restricted platforms.
Expert and Parent Reactions
Arturo Béjar, a former senior Meta employee turned whistleblower, told The Mirror that tech firms should be forced to prove their platforms are safe before young people can access them. He said: “If the world does a very assertive definition of what it means for the platforms to be safe, Meta gets a choice to either comply, or if they won't make it safe, then lose that market.”
Conversely, some bereaved parents support a ban. Ellen Roome, whose son Julian “Jools” Sweeney, 14, died in 2022 while attempting an online challenge, previously criticized MPs for rejecting a ban. The National Education Union (NEU) also supports the measure.
Ofcom's Role and Ongoing Concerns
Media regulator Ofcom ordered online services to take urgent action against harmful content, and all social media platforms were required to introduce age assurances by July 2025 under the Online Safety Act. The MRF expressed “grave concern” that an Australian-style ban would fail to address fundamental product safety issues.
For emotional support, the Samaritans can be reached 24/7 at 116 123 or via email at jo@samaritans.org.
