Bereaved Mother Criticizes Social Media Firms Over Son’s Death
A mother expresses frustration with social media companies in her search for answers about her son’s tragic death
Cheltenham, UK, Jools Sweeney, Ellen Roome, Social Media, Mental Health, Jools’ Law
Cheltenham: A grieving mother is really struggling with how social media companies are handling her requests for information about her son. Ellen Roome, 48, believes her son Jools, who was just 14, might have been involved in an online challenge that led to his tragic death in April 2022.
She’s been trying to get access to his social media accounts, especially Instagram and TikTok, thinking they might hold clues about what happened. But the tech companies have made it super difficult, saying she needs a court order to get in. That’s just frustrating!
Ellen has been pushing for something called “Jools’ Law,” which would let parents access their kids’ online activities after they pass away. This issue is even going to be discussed in Parliament soon, which is a big deal.
She told the news agency that she feels the companies have been “awful” in their responses. They’ve shared some contact info but won’t give her any messages or browsing history. It’s like they don’t care about her pain at all.
She’s just trying to figure out if Jools was being bullied online or if something else was going on. It’s heartbreaking because she insists he had no mental health issues before this. Jools was found unconscious in his room, and while a coroner confirmed he took his own life, they couldn’t say if he was feeling suicidal.
With over 126,000 signatures on her petition, Ellen is determined to get answers. She’s reaching out to MPs, hoping they’ll understand her pain. She said if they lost a child, they’d be doing the same thing she is—searching for answers.
Christmas was especially tough for her, and she feels like her world has been shattered. She’s just trying to prevent this from happening to another family. TikTok and Instagram have been contacted for their side of the story, but it’s clear Ellen is not backing down.