The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has expressed her dismay after learning that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with technology executives to discuss children's online safety before meeting with bereaved families. Esther Ghey described feeling 'a little bit devastated' upon hearing the news.
Meeting with tech leaders
Esther Ghey's daughter, 16-year-old Brianna, was murdered by two teenagers in 2023. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Ms Ghey said she had hoped that she and other families campaigning for online safety would be the Prime Minister's priority. 'Honestly, I was a little bit devastated I suppose,' she said. 'I thought that we would hopefully be the ones that will be able to meet first, to share our stories and our children's.'
On April 16, Sir Keir and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall questioned senior leaders from Meta, X, Snap, TikTok, and Google about their efforts to protect children online and address parental concerns. The meeting occurred amid a government consultation on online safety, which could introduce measures such as an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, limits on addictive features, and stronger controls on AI chatbots.
Open letter to the Prime Minister
Ms Ghey and other campaigners, including Ellen Roome, who believes her 14-year-old son Jools died while attempting an online challenge, sent an open letter to Sir Keir on Sunday. They wrote, 'We were incredibly disappointed to learn that you invited social media companies to discuss this issue prior to meeting with families like ours. While we understand the importance of engaging with industry, it is of equal importance that you hear directly from those who have experienced the devastating consequences associated with online platforms.'
Brianna's killers had accessed harmful content online, and Ms Ghey noted that other children have died after 'accessing harmful content such as suicidal ideation or online challenges.' She recalled meeting the Labour leader in February 2024, before he became Prime Minister, and felt another meeting was warranted before his conference with tech leaders.
'It's hard to campaign, and we have done so tirelessly and it's emotional for us, we have to relive what's happened to our children time and time again,' Ms Ghey told BBC Breakfast. 'We do this because we're passionate that we don't want any other families to go through what we've been through. And I think that we really deserve to be listened to, and we're also representative of so many other families in our country.'
Government response
A government spokesperson responded, 'We share Esther Ghey's determination to keep children safe online, and value the role she and so many parents play in pushing for change. That's why the Prime Minister and ministers have been meeting families and young people to discuss the future of social media and its impact on children, and will continue to engage with families who have been directly affected.'
The spokesperson added, 'As the Technology Secretary has stressed, we will act to ensure children have safer childhoods online. This is a complex issue with no overall consensus. We have launched a consultation looking at everything from age limits and safer design features on AI chatbots and games, to a social media ban. We're also running pilots with hundreds of UK families and engaging with parents, children and experts to make sure we get this right.'
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. In the USA, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org. For other countries, go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
