Grieving Mum Blasts Snapchat and Meta After Son’s Tragic Death
A mother is demanding answers from social media giants after her son, 14, took his own life, fearing he fell victim to dangerous online challenges
Jools Sweeney, Ellen Roome, Snapchat, Meta, TikTok, Blackout Challenge, UK
London: A heartbroken mum is taking on Snapchat and Meta after her 14-year-old son, Jools, tragically took his own life. Ellen Roome believes he may have been involved in a dangerous online challenge. She’s desperate to access his social media accounts, thinking they might hold the key to understanding why he did it.
Jools was found dead in his room, and while a coroner couldn’t confirm his state of mind, Ellen is convinced that online pressures played a role. She mentioned that Jools loved doing online challenges, and she worries he might have fallen for something sinister, like the Blackout challenge, which has been linked to other young deaths.
Now, Ellen is pushing for “Jools’ Law,” which would let parents access their deceased children’s social media accounts. Her petition has already gathered 126,000 signatures and was even discussed in Parliament. She feels that having access to Jools’ accounts could provide crucial insights into his last moments.
Her world turned upside down in April 2022 when she found Jools unconscious. Without access to his social media, she feels lost and unable to piece together what happened. She said, “He was so active online, doing challenges I thought were harmless. If I could see his data, maybe I’d understand why he chose to end his life.”
Ellen described Jools as a happy kid, always smiling and surrounded by friends. His funeral had over 500 attendees, and no one saw this coming. Just an hour and a half before his death, they were chatting like normal.
Since losing Jools, Ellen has been on a mission to uncover the truth. She’s worried he might have stumbled upon dangerous viral challenges. She’s spent a fortune on legal fees trying to get access to his accounts but hasn’t had any luck.
She’s reached out to TikTok and has had some back-and-forth with Meta and Snapchat, but without a court order, they can’t help her. She expressed her frustration, saying, “They don’t seem to care. TikTok won’t give anything without a court order, and Snapchat has only provided limited access.”
According to TikTok, they no longer have Jools’ watch or search history because they’re required by law to delete personal data unless it’s needed for business. They said they weren’t trying to block Ellen from getting answers, but the timing didn’t work out.
Snapchat has allowed her to see some messages, but anything deleted is gone for good. They’re willing to help authorities but can’t provide more without a legal request.
Ellen just wants to make sure no other parent has to go through this pain. “Nothing will bring my son back, and I’m just a regular person trying to find out why he’s gone,” she said, expressing her heartbreak and determination.