Petition for parents to access children's social media tops 100k

A petition, set up by the mum of a 14 year old boy who died in 2022, has secured more than 100,000 signatures and will debated in Parliament.

It was created by Ellen Roome, and asked for parents to be given the right to access their child's social media accounts.

Ellen's son died suddenly after being found alone at home.

A coroner ruled he probably didn't intend to take his own life, and she believes his online activity might offer an insight into why he died.

But she's not been able to access the data - with one firm demanding a court order before it was prepared to offer its support.

Ellen now wants to create #JoolsLaw so that tech companies are duty-bound to allow parents to see what their children are doing online.

The decision to hold an early election meant that the deadline for petitions was reduced to 00.01am on Thursday May 30th - but the 100k threshold was surpassed late on Tuesday 28th.

Calls for parents to access social media accounts

The petition reads: I want parents/guardians to have the right to be given access to their children's social media accounts, by social media providers, both when the child is alive and if they are deceased.

My son Jools was 14 when he took his life in 2022. At the time the new Coroner's powers to request social media access were not in force. However, I also think this is too late.

Since my son's death, I have not been able to access information to see what my son was looking at that could have contributed to him taking his own life.

Parents should have the right to full access to their child's social media accounts either whilst they are still alive (to protect them) or if they die as in my case.

You can read the petition in full on the government's Petition's Page

Bereaved mum asks other parents to support her campaign

Speaking to the Mental Health Monday Podcast, Ellen said: "Jools was the most amazing, happy, smiling boy. Very smart and very bright.

"I'm left, for the rest of my life thinking 'What happened?' I don't understand, and there could be something that could give me some answers.

"Jools isn't here, he was a minor, and I'm his parent, and surely I should have the right to see what he was looking at? But you can't. You can't, and that shocked me.

"There's got to be some way we can protect our children more. I think its wrong that as a parent I can't see his data - I think that's entirely wrong.

"It could save a child's life - if we could try and save one child's life that's all I want to do, make a difference to the children who are still here."

Ellen is urging other parents to sign the petition: "I can't change it for Jools but I could make a difference for other children."

"It's my job to put that in front of somebody and say 'this is not right'.

Other parents back the campaign

The debate will be held in parliament AFTER the General Election subject to it receiving backing from an MP after July 4th.

It's already receiving backing from other bereaved parents.

Hollie Dance believes she lost her son Archie to an online challenge - and says having his online records could help them understand what happened.

She told us: "At Archie's inquest, they went back when he was five with this educational records and back to 2015 with his doctors records, but with social media - nothing.

"We're just left with these unanswered questions, really. We don't know why our beautiful, healthy, lively children on a normal day have decided to do these acts that have led to their deaths."

You can listen to Ellen speaking in full on the Mental Health Monday Podcast.

You can sign the petition here

We've approached two social media companies for comment.

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