Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died after exposure to harmful social media content, has condemned Prime Minister Keir Starmer's proposed ban on social media for under-16s. Russell argues the ban is a politically easy route that will not work and leaves children at continued risk.
Russell, chair of the Molly Rose Foundation, said Starmer had promised him personally to implement effective measures to strengthen regulation. However, two years into this government, the PM has failed to take on big tech with the tough regulation he promised in opposition.
Instead of tackling algorithmic harm, the ban leaves more questions than answers. Russell cited evidence from Australia, where a similar ban saw 60% of teens still accessing social media. He warned that UK teens would circumvent the ban, leaving them at greater risk and less likely to seek help.
Russell called for a decisive plan to ban personalised algorithms for teens and compel tech companies to change their business models. He said the PM had abdicated responsibility for product safety and failed to address the algorithms that cost his daughter's life.
