BRIANNA Ghey’s mum said herself and parents of children who died after exposure to harmful online content are standing united.
It comes as Ofcom has warned social media sites could be named and shamed if they fail to comply with new online safety rules.
Esther Ghey appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning alongside other parents – some of whom say that Ofcom’s proposed new rules are ‘insufficient’.
She said: “I think that like our stories are public, but how many children are actually struggling with their mental health? How many children have been affected by self-harm, have eating disorders, or have taken their own lives that we don’t actually know about that actually hasn’t been identified towards social media?”
The media regulator has shared draft codes of practice in relation to new online safety rules.
These require social media platforms to take action to stop their algorithms recommending harmful content to children,and put robust age-checking measures in place to protect them.
Esther, who said she believed that Ofcom ‘really did care’, continued on BBC Breakfast: “I think this is a pivotal point and we are all standing united to make sure that change happens.”
Also appearing on BBC Breakfast was Lisa Kenevan, the mum of Isaac who died aged 13 after he took part in a ‘black out’ challenge online.
She said that the Ofcom changes are not fast enough.
“The sad thing is the snail's pace that is happening with Ofcom and social media platforms taking responsibility, the reality is there's going to be more cases,” Lisa told BBC Breakfast.
Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme the proposals will result in 'big changes' for social media companies and would publicly name those who did not comply.
“They will be responsible for the first time in law for actually looking at their own services, who’s using them, what the advantages are of course, but also what the risks are,” she said.
“Ofcom is going to be marking their homework and doing so transparently as well so that the public can see the results and the marks that we’re giving.”
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