Hurt social media firms' pockets, bereaved mum says

A bereaved mother who campaigned for changes to social media says the government's ban for under-16s needs to be upheld with fines which "really hurt" companies' pockets.

Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X are among the platforms set to be banned for under-16s by spring 2027.

Ellen Roome, from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, started campaigning for social media companies to preserve children's data after her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died in what she believes was an online challenge gone wrong.

While Roome said the ban was "fantastic news", she added Ofcom's pressure on social media firms had not "been strong enough" and they should face tougher penalties.

The regulator previously told the BBC it was "ready to take the toughest enforcement action" against social media firms.

"We will absolutely move into a formal investigation if we need to," it added.

The company also said it was "deeply concerned" companies were still failing to take the necessary action to keep underage children off their platforms.

A survey by the regulator found 84% of children aged eight to 12 were still using at least one major service with a minimum age of 13.

"The fines they have issued, the social media companies haven't even been bothered with paying them, so until we actually start really hurting these companies in their pockets - which is what they care about - they're not going to change," said Roome.

"We need to hold those companies accountable and say 'this must not happen' and 'you are responsible and you need to make your platform safe'," she added.

Appointed an MBE in the 2026 New Year Honours list, Roome has campaigned to get an amendment to the law that would force social media companies to give bereaved parents access to their child's data in the event of their death.

She also protested outside the offices of Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, with other bereaved British parents to demand better online safety protections for children.

As a result of her campaigning efforts, an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill was made.

Roome said the decision on Monday was only the beginning and she was waiting for the "final details" of the ban to be released in July.

"We really need to see what is being brought out and how it's going to be implemented and make sure all the harmful features of social media are actually removed," she said.

Roome also said while "any stricter controls that actually protect children more" were a good thing, she felt more needed to be done to "sort out a highly effective age verification" process.

"We need to make sure that's tightened up," she added.

Lauren Cowell, who supports Roome's campaign, said there now needed to be a focus on helping children reclaim "their childhood" and transition into life without social media.

Cowell said she joined Roome's campaign to protect children online and ban social media for under-16s after experiencing "constant worry" around her 12-year-old son Eric using social media.

"It is very personal to me. I sent Ellen a message and asked if I could help," she said.

"I've only been part of her campaign for the last four months but I've met such incredible people and families and I have so much respect and admiration for their courage and their tenacity for never giving up," she added.

Reflecting on the government's announcement, Cowell said it was a "huge step in the right direction".

"But there's a lot that still needs to be done. It's also about education and preparing kids for the next step with what other things there are to do apart from being on social media," she said.

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.