Young girls continue to encounter suicide and self-harm content on social media, despite the Online Safety Act being implemented last summer, according to recent research findings.
Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, is advocating for Keir Starmer not to enforce a general social media ban for individuals under 16, but rather to initiate more targeted measures to address the harmful content that influenced his 14-year-old daughter’s tragic decision in 2017.
The Prime Minister is set to announce a prohibition for individuals under 16 from using platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok on Monday, following a three-month consultation by the Government.
A survey conducted by The Mirror indicates that nearly half of girls (47%) and about a third of all teenagers aged 13 to 17 encountered high-risk content related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders within one week in April. The study further reveals that the prevalence of harmful content remains almost unchanged now (34%) compared to just before the Online Safety Act was enforced (37%).
This raises concerns about the efficacy of online safety regulations and whether major tech companies are adhering to the guidelines.
The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF), responsible for the research, expresses serious apprehension that a social media ban resembling the one in Australia would not effectively address the core product safety issues highlighted in their study.
As per sources at The Mirror, the Government’s proposed social media restriction for individuals under 16 will go beyond Australia’s measures, incorporating constraints on design features and introducing nighttime curfews for 16- and 17-year-olds. The ban will also extend to additional services like gaming platforms.
Mr. Russell, who has been a vocal opponent of the ban, expresses deep disappointment in Mr. Starmer, accusing him of opting for a simpler solution rather than prioritizing the long-term safety of social media.
In a statement to The Mirror, he stated, “It’s just desperately disappointing that young people in this country, instead of change happening and a safe digital space for them to grow up in – if these reports (of a ban) are to be believed – what will be left behind is the same dangerous digital landscape.” He further adds, “But children will still find a way around it, as they always do around any ban, and as Australia is proving, and therefore it would almost be more dangerous than less dangerous. Nothing has been done to tackle the problem at source. That is taking a politically easy option and not doing as promised, not listening to the evidence.”
According to the Government’s online safety consultation, nine out of ten parents advocated for age restrictions similar to those in Australia.
Despite Australia implementing a ban on social media for under 16s in December, findings from MRF suggest that three in five (61%) Australian 12 to 15 year-olds still maintain access to one or more accounts on restricted platforms.
Some experts caution that a ban may absolve tech companies of responsibility in enhancing their products. Arturo Béjar, a former senior Meta employee turned Whistleblower, asserts that tech firms should be obligated to demonstrate the safety of their platforms before young individuals can access them.
He stated to The Mirror, “I think that if the world does a very assertive definition of what it means for the platforms to be safe, Meta gets a choice to either comply, or if they won’t make it safe, then lose that market or those people, right? They keep saying that they will respect local regulation. I haven’t seen good faith embracing of any local regulation.”
Several bereaved parents strongly support the ban, including Ellen Roome, who suspects her son Julian “Jools” Sweeney, 14, perished while attempting an online challenge in 2022. She had previously criticized MPs for rejecting a proposition to ban social media for individuals under 16.
Ms. Roome, who is engaged in litigation against TikTok alongside other British families over their children’s tragedies, conveyed to The Mirror in March, “For families like mine, this is not a theoretical debate. My 14-year-old son Jools died in 2022, and since then I have met many other parents whose children have also been harmed through social media platforms.”
The National Education Union (NEU), representing numerous school staff members, is among the organizations supporting a ban.
In the previous year, media regulator Ofcom instructed online services to promptly take measures to prevent children from accessing content related to pornography, suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.
All social media platforms were mandated to implement age verifications by July 2025 or face penalties under the Online Safety Act. This requirement extended to sites like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
::: MEL Research surveyed 1,825 adolescents aged 13-17 in the UK, with the support of the PHSE Association, conducting in-school research during April 2026.
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