A mother pursuing legal action against TikTok regarding her 14-year-old son’s death expressed frustration over the necessity of traveling to another continent for answers. Ellen Roome suspects her son, Julian “Jools” Sweeney, may have perished due to a social media challenge mishap but has been blocked from accessing his account. She is part of a group of five British families suing TikTok for the alleged wrongful deaths of their children.
Roome, from Cheltenham, shared with The Mirror that she believes her son would be proud of her efforts to seek justice not only for him but for all children. She emphasized the broader impact, stating that the issue transcends the UK, highlighting it as a global concern.
TikTok contends that it cannot retrieve Jools’s watch or search history from his account due to legal requirements to delete personal data. Roome criticized TikTok’s stance, accusing the platform of lacking morals and insinuating hidden motives for withholding data.
The ongoing lawsuit, initiated last year, will face a pivotal hearing aiming to dismiss the case on the grounds that it should have been filed in the UK. If unsuccessful, the lawsuit may advance to the discovery phase, potentially compelling TikTok to disclose internal records and the children’s account data, a process that could extend over several years.
Roome’s advocacy extends to campaigning for “Jools’ Law” in the UK, advocating for the preservation of a child’s online data following their demise. This proposed legislation aims to set a standard that Roome believes could influence global practices.
Baroness Beeban Kidron has introduced an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, advocating for automatic data preservation upon a child’s death, with expectations for parliamentary debate soon.
In response, a TikTok spokesperson expressed condolences to the bereaved families, affirming their strict policies against content promoting dangerous behavior and their compliance with UK data protection laws.
For mental health support, individuals can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.