Campaigner Esther Ghey has told the she is “frustrated” at the government’s approach to online safety, warning that “young people are losing their lives”.
Ms Ghey’s child Brianna, 16, was murdered in February 2023 by two 15-year-olds, one of whom had been watching violent content online. Brianna herself had viewed material that encouraged self-harm.
Her comments came amid reports that the Online Safety Bill – part of which came into force in March – could be watered down in a bid to secure favourable trade terms with US President Donald Trump, a suggestion Ms Ghey described as “shocking”.
A government spokesperson said ministers were “committed to keeping young people safe online”.
Eddie Ratcliffe and Scarlett Jenkinson lured Brianna to a park in Warrington, Cheshire, before stabbing her to death. Both received life sentences in February 2024.
The pair had a fascination with violence, torture and murder, and had planned the killing for weeks using a messaging app.
Speaking to the ‘s Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Ghey said of the Online Safety Bill: “While we are… questioning whether it’s strong enough or whether it should be watered down, young people are at harm, and young people are losing their lives.”
She was speaking in support of the new Behind Our Screens campaign to encourage young people to share their experiences online.
Ms Ghey, who has called for children under 16 to stop having access to social media on smartphones, has previously met the prime minister to discuss online safety but called on him to take a tougher approach.
She told the : “Young people shouldn’t be struggling with mental health because of what they are accessing online, and we really do need to take a hard stance on this.”
Roxy Longworth, who spoke to the alongside Ms Ghey, was coerced into sending nude pictures to a boy at school when she was just 13, and subsequently experienced serious mental health problems.
Ms Longworth said she wanted to bridge the growing “generation gap” around social media.
“A lot of young people I’ve spoken to have said that they’re scared to tell their parents about anything they see online, because they’re worried their phones will be taken away as punishment,” she said.
A government spokesperson said the Online Safety Act means online platforms “must now prevent illegal material appearing on their sites” and that the bill’s next phase will “ensure children only see age-appropriate content online”.
They added: “We have commissioned research on the impact of social media and smartphones on children’s well-being.
“This evidence base will help inform next steps in the safety of children online.”
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