Five British families have launched a landmark legal case against TikTok in the United States, alleging the social media giant's algorithms contributed to the deaths of their children. The parents are attending a crucial hearing in Delaware on Friday 16 January 2026, marking the first time UK families have pursued such action against the company in an American court.
The Fight for Answers and Data
The lawsuit centres on claims that TikTok's recommender systems actively promoted and amplified harmful content to young users, including material associated with dangerous online trends like the 'Blackout Challenge'. The families argue this content played a role in their children's deaths. A core grievance is that TikTok has repeatedly refused to release critical data from the children's accounts from the period leading up to their deaths, despite multiple requests from the bereaved parents.
Ellen Roome, Lisa Kenevan, and Liam Walsh are representing the families in Delaware. Ms Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools died in April 2022 after she believes he took part in an online challenge, stated: "Parents should not have to cross continents to fight multinational technology companies just to find out what happened to their child." She added that they are attending because "the data that could explain our children’s deaths has been withheld."
Jools' Law and the UK Campaign
Parallel to the US litigation, Ellen Roome is campaigning in the UK for legislative change. She is advocating for 'Jools' Law', a proposal that would mandate the automatic preservation of a child's online data immediately following their death. This aims to prevent the permanent loss of vital evidence during early investigations and inquests.
An amendment based on this proposal has been tabled by Baroness Beeban Kidron to the Crime and Policing Bill. The bill is currently progressing through Parliament and is scheduled for debate in the House of Lords later this month. Ms Roome has expressed her prior naivety about online dangers, telling The Independent she believed her son was watching harmless videos, not realising the scale of harmful content available.
A Precedent for Global Accountability
Friday's hearing is a Motion to Dismiss, a pivotal procedural stage. If the motion fails, the case will proceed to Discovery, where TikTok could be legally compelled to disclose internal records and the children's account data. The families describe this moment as significant for all bereaved families seeking truth and systemic change from powerful tech firms.
This case emerges amid growing global concern about the impact of algorithm-driven social media on young people's mental health and safety. With increasing calls for robust online safeguards, the lawsuit's outcome is being closely monitored by policymakers in the UK and worldwide. It could set a critical precedent for holding social media companies accountable for harm linked to their recommender systems and content moderation practices.
