Ellen Roome, a mother from Gloucestershire, is part of a group of grieving parents suing TikTok after the heartbreaking deaths of five children allegedly linked to an online challenge. Her 14-year-old son, Jools Sweeney, passed away in Cheltenham in 2022, prompting her relentless campaign for justice.
Ms. Roome recently attended a hearing in Delaware, United States, as part of a lawsuit initiated by the Social Media Victims Law Centre against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance. The case claims that Jools, along with Isaac Kenevan (13), Archie Battersbee (12), Noah Gibson (11), and Maia Walsh (13), died while participating in a dangerous online challenge promoted on the platform.
Reflecting on the hearing, Ms. Roome described the process as “deeply painful,” emphasizing the stark contrast between the cold, legal proceedings and the raw grief experienced by the families. She shared on Facebook, “For the court, this is about motions and procedures. For us, it is about our children. Our dead children.” Despite the emotional toll, Ms. Roome is determined to continue fighting to protect other children from similar harm.
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In her pursuit of justice, Ms. Roome sold her financial business of 18 years to campaign for “Jools’ Law,” which would grant parents the right to access their deceased child’s digital data without a court order. She is also advocating for stronger regulations to enhance online safety for children.
Since Jools’ death, Ms. Roome has sought data from TikTok and ByteDance, believing it could shed light on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. She stresses the importance of holding social media companies accountable for exposing children to harmful content. “What happens online does not stay online. The impact is real, and for too many families, devastating,” she stated prior to the hearing.
The lawsuit seeks to challenge the addictive design of social media platforms and their reluctance to take responsibility when harmful incidents occur. “Children deserve protection. Parents deserve answers. And tech companies must be held to account,” Ms. Roome affirmed.
TikTok has filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that UK residents cannot sue US-based entities that do not provide services in the UK. The company also cites US legal protections like the First Amendment, which limit liability for user-generated content.
A TikTok spokesperson expressed sympathy for the families while emphasizing the platform’s efforts to combat dangerous content: “We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behavior… We remove 99% of content that breaks these rules before it is reported. We comply with the UK’s strict data protection laws.”
It is noted that the specific online challenge linked to the deaths has been blocked on TikTok since 2020.