Mother of boy who may have died in TikTok challenge urges No 10 to ban social media

Politics The Guardian By Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor 26 May 2026 08:34 1 min read

Ellen Roome, whose son, Jools Sweeney, was 14 when he died, wants a ban put in place for under-16s The mother of a teenager who believes he died in a TikTok challenge gone wrong has said Downing Street has been too slow to move towards a social media ban for under-16s, and accused the government of “kicking it down the road”. Ellen Roome, the mother of Jools Sweeney, 14, is among the families who will meet Keir Starmer on Tuesday as a consultation on a possible social media ban closes this week.

Ellen Roome, whose son, Jools Sweeney, was 14 when he died, wants a ban put in place for under-16s

The mother of a teenager who believes he died in a TikTok challenge gone wrong has said Downing Street has been too slow to move towards a social media ban for under-16s, and accused the government of “kicking it down the road”.

Ellen Roome, the mother of Jools Sweeney, 14, is among the families who will meet Keir Starmer on Tuesday as a consultation on a possible social media ban closes this week.

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