Boy, 14, died in mother’s arms after viral challenge - and she’s suing TikTok for answers in US court
A British mother whose son died in her arms after attempting an internet challenge is to take on social media giant TikTok in an American courtroom.
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Ellen Roome's world was turned upside down when she found her 14-year-old boy lifeless in his bedroom in their Cheltenham home on April 13, 2022.
The 49-year-old believes TikTok is to blame for his death, saying the teenager had been taking part in a "blackout" challenge he had first seen on the app.
Ms Roome is now in the States with five British parents who have sued the company, with the first day of the hearing taking place in Delaware on Friday.
The lawsuit, filed by the Social Media Victims Law Centre against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleges that Jools, Isaac Kenevan, 13, Archie Battersbee, 12, Noah Gibson, 11, and Maia Walsh, 13, died while attempting the online challenge.
The parents are trying to obtain data from TikTok and ByteDance which they believe could provide an explanation as to what happened.
Speaking to LBC from America, Ms Roome said: "We can't seem to get a straight answer. I do often wonder why social media companies don't just say 'this is everything we have on your child, I hope you get some answers from it.' Why wouldn't they release it? If they have nothing to hide, why won't they release that data?
"Algorithms feed our children harmful material, and we want to see what they were actually watching. They keep coming out with the same corporate line that they remove 99 per cent of all harmful content, but they have billions and billions of videos on their platforms. What are these children seeing?"
Ms Roome is also pushing for wider changes to social media to improve the safety of children online.
"This is about accountability. We are in Delaware to make sure social media companies are held responsible for the harm caused on their platforms," she said.
"What happens online does not stay online. The impact is real, and for too many families, devastating.
"This is not about banning the internet. It is about stopping platforms being addictive by design, exposing children to harm, and avoiding responsibility when the worst happens.
"Children deserve protection. Parents deserve answers. And tech companies must be held to account. We are here to make sure other children are safer."
Ms Roome sold the financial business she had run for 18 years to campaign for Jools’ Law, a right for parents to access their deceased child’s data without a court order.
TikTok has applied to dismiss the case, stating UK residents are suing US entities which do not operate or provide the social media firm’s services in the UK.
It says established US law, such as the First Amendment, bars liability for third-party content on TikTok.
A spokesperson for TikTok said: “Our deepest sympathies remain with these families. We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behaviour.
“Using robust detection systems and dedicated enforcement teams to proactively identify and remove this content, we remove 99% that’s found to break these rules before it is reported to us.
“As a company, we comply with the UK’s strict data protection laws.”
It is understood the online challenge which the parents say is responsible for their children’s deaths has been blocked on TikTok since 2020.
Matthew Bergman, of the Social Media Victims Law Centre, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that he believed legislation along with court cases and public opinion could protect more children from online harm.
“We see the public officials and judges and influence makers are really understanding the clear and present threat that social media poses to the mental and physically safety of our young people,” he added.