A mother is demanding accountability from social media firms over her son’s death
Ellen feels that social media companies have been terrible in helping her access Jools’s accounts. She believes that these accounts could provide crucial information about his death. Unfortunately, she’s been told she needs a court order to get into them, which is just adding to her frustration.
She’s been pushing for something called “Jools’ Law,” which would allow parents to access their kids’ online activities after they pass away. This issue is set to be discussed in Parliament soon, which gives her a glimmer of hope.
Ellen is particularly focused on Jools’s Instagram and TikTok accounts. He loved doing challenges that were popular on those platforms. When she reached out to the companies for help, she said their response was “awful.” They just don’t seem to care about her situation at all.
She expressed her anger, saying they hide behind privacy rules, but she just wants to know if something bad happened online. Jools was found unconscious in his room, and while a coroner ruled it was suicide, they couldn’t confirm if he was feeling suicidal beforehand.
Ellen mentioned that Instagram did share Jools’s contacts but refused to give her any messages or browsing history. TikTok, on the other hand, claimed that the information had been deleted, leaving her in the dark about what really happened.
A petition she started to push for this issue has gained over 126,000 signatures, showing that many people support her cause. As she prepares for the debate in Parliament, she has a strong message for the MPs: if they lost a child, they would understand her fight for answers.
Ellen shared how the grief has been overwhelming, especially during the holidays. She feels like her world has been turned upside down and is determined to prevent this from happening to another family. TikTok and Instagram have been contacted for their comments on the situation.
