Parents told Government to announce online safety plan in ‘weeks, not months’
Grieving parents of children whose deaths were linked to social media were told during their meeting with the Prime Minister that measures should be announced within “weeks, not months”.
The group attended the Government’s Thriving in an Online World consultation at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday afternoon; At this meeting, measures such as an Australian-style social media ban on those under 16, app curfews and restrictions on addictive features were announced.
Speaking outside Number 10 after the meeting, parents, many carrying photographs of their children, called on Sir Keir Starmer to take action as soon as possible.
Ellen Roome, who believes her son Jools Sweeney died at the age of 14 after looking at harmful content online, said: “We have been campaigning and crying out for action for years.
“They need to step up and do something now.
“I’d love to be able to explain right now: ‘Yes, they’re going to do something and it’s really positive,'” he added.
“I was quite insistent as to why they weren’t doing something now, and this whole consultation process was because various charities were saying they should take their views into account.
“More and more children are dying while we wait.
“They need to act; it looks like it will take weeks, not months.”
