MPs to debate Jools Law to allow bereaved parents access to children's social media

MPs will today debate a change in the law proposed by a bereaved mother who believes social media may hold crucial clues to her son's death.

Jools Sweeney was 14 when he was found unconscious at home in April 2022.

His parents and friends who saw him earlier that day say there were no signs he was depressed.

A coroner found he took his own life, but that he probably did not intend to, as he was unable to confirm he was in a suicidal mood.

His mother Ellen Roome suspects he may have taken part in an online challenge.

She has spent two years trying to get access to his social media accounts but says the tech companies have made it "very difficult".

Her petition to allow bereaved parents or guardians to access a child's full social media history attracted 126,000 signatures, known as Jools Law, and will be debated in parliament later.

"Earlier in the day he was playing football with a group of friends," she said.

"You can see on our security camera he said goodbye to his friend, all chirpy, an hour and a half before I got home.

"We can't have all, his parents, friends, teachers, grandparents, missed depression. And so we're left with these huge question marks," she said.

"The pain in my heart of not knowing what happened that night or why is incredibly hard. I don't want another family to go through it."

'It's my gut feeling and I just want to know'

Ms Roome, 48 from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, fears her son may have taken part in an online challenge which led to his death.

The police and coroner did not gather forensic data from his phone.

With help from her son's friends, Ellen has been able to unlock his phone and access some of his accounts, but some material has been deleted.

She says the tech companies have not given her full access to what Jools was looking at before his death.

"I have always said I don't know it's social media but that's always been my gut feeling and I just want to know - it's the missing piece of the jigsaw," she said.

"He did an awful lot of challenges, like standing on his hands putting a t-shirt on upside down. I thought they were fun, viral challenges. I never knew about some of the more dangerous ones.

"The police didn't ask for the data from social media companies. The detective didn't even find out he had more than one TikTok and Instagram account."

She says the social media companies have not given her all his messages and browsing history.

"They could say 'here it is, I hope you get some answers'. They could redact the details of other children."

Jools died a week after 12-year-old Archie Battersbee from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, was left brain-damaged by what a coroner concluded was an online prank and later died.

Sky News has contacted Meta, which owns Instagram, as well as TikTok and Snapchat. None provided an on-the-record statement, but they are understood to have been in contact with Ms Roome.

Police 'supporting' family

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Constabulary said they were limited in what they could request because it was not a criminal case.

"We cannot fathom how upsetting it must be for the family to not have answers after Jools took his own life.

"We supported the Sweeney family and coroner's office throughout an investigation into the cause of his death.

"As part of this Jools's phone was given to police and a review of the contents took place, as well as the manual review of a TikTok account. Nothing was found as part of these searches to provide any answers.

"Police are limited in what lines of enquiry can be taken to access private social media accounts hosted by private companies due to legislation, which states that you have to be proving or disproving an indictable offence, which is not applicable in this case and therefore there was no legal basis to apply for a production order.

"We know this sadly doesn't help Jools' family get the answers they are searching for, and we continue to support them with their own application for access to his social media accounts."

A TikTok representative held a meeting with Ms Roome last year and explained that the law requires companies to delete people's personal data - unless there is a police request for it.

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'I don't want any other family in my position'

In April 2024, new powers allowing coroners to require the production of social media evidence were introduced. Jools's inquest was by then closed.

Ms Roome is preparing a case to go to the High Court to get a fresh inquest and is crowdfunding the £86,000 cost to find answers.

The government issued a response to Ms Roome's petition, saying that tech companies should respond to requests from bereaved parents in a "humane and transparent way".

A new Digital Information and Data Bill, to be passed this year, would compel social media companies to retain data in cases where a child has died, so a coroner can request it.

But Ms Roome is worried it would not compel coroners and police to request the data.

"I don't want any other family to be in the position I am two-and-a-half years after my son's death. It should be automatic," she said.

Her lawyer Merry Varney, partner at Leigh Day, also represented the family of Molly Russell who fought for months to access what she saw online.

'It's left to parents to fill the gaps'

Ms Varney told Sky News: "Getting that information is incredibly difficult, it's a moving target. You've got the posters of the content, they control whether it's deleted or made private.

"The social media companies take this line 'it's not for us, it's not our responsibility', which makes for a very challenging set of circumstances - and it's not right.

"There's a lot the social media and tech platforms say about wanting to help, to be seen to be doing the right thing. But are they transparent about the gaps? No.

"It's left to the parents to fill the gaps themselves and it can be costly and difficult."

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Technology Secretary Peter Kyle spoke to Sky News in November. He said: "Coroners have the power now to compel the release of that data so it can be looked at.

"I'm going to be looking very, very closely at how those powers are used, that all coroners know that they have those powers and then if there's any additional powers that are needed going forward, then, of course, you know, I'm all ears to see how that could work."

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

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