Father of deceased teenager criticizes reported plans to restrict youth social media access

The father of a teenager who died after viewing harmful online content said he was dismayed by reports that the government plans to announce new restrictions on children's social media use within days. Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died in 2017 at age 14, told the BBC that the prime minister had promised an announcement by the summer recess but now appeared to be moving faster.

He said he could not identify a reason other than a political one and described the approach as deplorable. A Downing Street spokesperson said the government had conducted a thorough consultation and would set out next steps in due course. The spokesperson added that the status quo was not good enough and that protecting children was the priority.

Background on existing rules The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, requires social media companies to prevent children from viewing illegal or certain harmful content, with enforcement by media regulator Ofcom. Russell said new research from the Molly Rose Foundation showed that 47 percent of girls and a third of teenagers aged 13-17 had seen high-risk suicide, self-harm or eating disorder content in a single week.

The same survey indicated that 34 percent of children saw such material now, compared with 37 percent before the act took effect. Russell said the first year of implementation had achieved little and that Ofcom had been too timid.

Regulator response Ofcom said it had introduced age checks and grooming protections, opened investigations into more than 100 sites and apps, and issued fines totaling £5 million. An Ofcom spokesperson said companies needed to go much further to make feeds safer for children.