The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey says she was “a little bit devastated” when she heard Sir Keir Starmer had met tech bosses to discuss children’s online safety before speaking to bereaved families.
Esther Ghey’s 16-year-old daughter was murdered by two teenagers in 2023.
She said that she hoped she and other families would be Sir Keir’s priority.
Asked on BBC Breakfast how she felt when she heard Sir Keir had met senior leaders from TikTok, X, Meta, and other social media giants, earlier in April, Ms Ghey said: “Honestly, I was a little bit devastated I suppose.
“I thought that we would hopefully be the ones that will be able to meet first, to share our stories and our children’s.”
Ms Ghey and other campaigners, including Ellen Roome, who believes her 14-year-old son Jools died while attempting an online challenge, sent an open letter to the prime minister on Sunday.
“We were incredibly disappointed to learn that you invited social media companies to discuss this issue prior to meeting with families like ours,” they wrote.
“While we understand the importance of engaging with industry, it is of equal importance that you hear directly from those who have experienced the devastating consequences associated with online platforms.”
In the meeting on 16 April, senior leaders from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, Elon Musk’s X, Snap, TikTok, and Google (which owns YouTube) were questioned by Sir Keir and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall on what they are doing to protect children and respond to parental concerns.
The Government is midway through its consultation on how to protect children online, which could include an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, limits on addictive features, and stronger controls on AI chatbots.
Brianna’s killers had accessed harmful content online, and Ms Ghey said other children have died after “accessing harmful content such as suicidal ideation or online challenges”.
She said she had met the Labour leader in February 2024, before he came to power, so she felt another meeting was due before Sir Keir’s conference with the tech leaders.
“It’s hard to campaign, and we have done so tirelessly and it’s emotional for us, we have to relive what’s happened to our children time and time again,” Ms Ghey told BBC Breakfast.
“We do this because we’re passionate that we don’t want any other families to go through what we’ve been through. And I think that we really deserve to be listened to, and we’re also representative of so many other families in our country.”
A Government spokesperson said: “We share Esther Ghey’s determination to keep children safe online, and value the role she and so many parents play in pushing for change.
“That’s why the Prime Minister and ministers have been meeting families and young people to discuss the future of social media and its impact on children, and will continue to engage with families who have been directly affected.
“As the Technology Secretary has stressed, we will act to ensure children have safer childhoods online. This is a complex issue with no overall consensus.
“We have launched a consultation looking at everything from age limits and safer design features on AI chatbots and games, to a social media ban. We’re also running pilots with hundreds of UK families and engaging with parents, children and experts to make sure we get this right.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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