Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died after what she believes was a TikTok challenge gone wrong, has called on the government to act swiftly on a social media ban for under-16s. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Roome accused Downing Street of being too slow and 'kicking it down the road'.
Roome is among families meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday as a consultation on a possible ban closes this week. She urged the government to 'take it away, fix it, and then we can give it back', insisting tech companies could spend money on making platforms safe.
Labour party chair Anna Turley said the government would 'seize this moment' but defended taking time for consultation. Former health secretary Wes Streeting, who compared social media to tobacco, blamed tech firms for designing addictive products that harm children's sleep, concentration, health and wellbeing.
Streeting, now liberated from collective responsibility, said he made the same arguments inside government. He cited Australia's ban for under-16s, noting that even if some circumvent it, helping half of children is better than none. Measures under consideration include age limits on certain features, curbing personalised algorithms, and mandatory screen curfews.
