Bereaved parents demand social media firms ‘protect children’

A group of British parents who believe that social networks participated in the death of their children have traveled to New York to demand better online security protections for children.

The four families flew to the United States, home from several technological giants that direct social media platforms, to protest against the technology industry.

“We are not scaring the moon … all we are asking for is to help us protect our children,” said Mark Kenevan, father of Isaac, who died 13 for participating in a challenge of social networks.

His visit occurs when the ofcom media regulator announced that websites will be a legal request to block children’s access to harmful content from July to continuous operating in the United Kingdom.

Websites will also have to introduce more rigorous age checks, according to their latest child practice code published on Thursday.

The BBC breakfast accompanied the parents of four children who died to New York.

Lisa Knevan, Isaac’s mother, said the families that bind together had given strength.

“We just want the government, we want technological companies to understand that we are strengthening ourselves, our voices are strengthening and we will not disappear,” he said.

A coroner ruled that Isaac had died in 2022 as a result of misfortune, but Kenevans say that social networks were also guilty.

This year they were among several families that filed a lawsuit for unfair death against Tiktok in the United States, which pushes the platform to boost dangerous jokes and challenge videos to increase the commitment time.

Maia Walsh’s family, who are also part of the demand, believes that the 13 -year -old died for injuries while participating in online challenges. An investigation into his death will examine its use or Tiktok.

His father Liam Walsh, speaking about New York’s protest, told the BBC breakfast: “I feel that we are thinking that we are receiving recognition for what happened to our children, because there is something in him, they are not just desperate parents in Strawss.

“We are slowly revealing what happened to our children, and this is part of that movement.”

Tiktok says that it prohibits dangerous content or challenges on the platform, and directs those looking for hashtags or videos to their security center.

Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, says he also shares the goal of keeping adolescents online and recently introduced “teenage accounts” with improved protections.

“We believe that adolescents deserve protections consisting of all the different applications, not only our platforms,” ​​Meta said in a statement.

Also among the parents in New York is Ellen Roome, who believes that his 14 -year -old son, Jools Sweeney, died after an online challenge went wrong in 2022 and his social media accounts could provide the necessary evidence. An investigation into his death discovered that he took his life.

“[He was] Just a normal and lovely boy. No time in our life we ​​thought we would be in this position … There was nothing that cools any indication that there was a problem, “said Roome, who is campaigning for Legislet to give parents access to their children of their children if they die.

“I almost want to tell parents ‘that you don’t know what your children are looking at.’

“This is not for our children, it is too late, but for them having that conversation with their children about what they are looking at, what they are seeing.”

The BBC previously approached Tiktok, X, Snapchat, Discord and Meta, which Facebook, Instagram and Threads has, to ask about Mrs. Roome’s case.

None of them gave a formal answer, but a Snapchat spokesman said previously: “Our hearts are with Mrs. Roome and her family for the loss of Jools.

“We have additional protections for children under 18 and we sacrifice parents’ tools so that parents can see that adolescents communicate and inform any group.”

A Tiktok spokesman also said that the company had eliminated 99% of the videos that show or promote dangerous content before a user reported it.

Also among the parents in New York was Lorin Lafave, mother of Breck Bednar, 14, who was attracted to his death in 2014 after being prepared online while playing.

The online security activist, who now shares Breck’s story in schools through the Breck Foundation, said: “I would love to see age restrictions. For me, I think children need childhood for a longer time.

“They are exposed to both adult content and adult relationships too soon, too young, and you are only a child once.”

On Wednesday night, Mrs. Roome and Mrs. Kenevan also with some afflicted American families, with whom they will join forces to protest against the technology industry and to campaign for a safer online world.