In Britain, social media companies will now have to hand over details of online activities of dead children to their parents, and if the companies deny to provide the information to the parents, they can face penalties worth crores of rupees, and one year in prison. Therefore, the British government is making amendments to the Online Safety Bill. Now, if it is doubted that a child’s death could have been caused by social media, parents and investigating officers can retrieve crucial information from the companies.
Back in 2017, Molly Russel, who was battling depression, had committed suicide after viewing social media posts which pushed viewers to commit suicide. Her parents had then asked the social media company to share her online activity details with them, and after a long battle spanning 5 years, they were able to receive the complete information. This revealed that during the last 6 months of Molly’s life, she had viewed more than 16, 000 posts on social media, which were related to anxiety, suicides, and self-harm.
This was when the demand of being able to know the details of the online activities of dead children gained stronghold. Molly’s father has opined that with this, people will learn a lesson, online safety will improve, and the lives of other children can be saved. Film Director Baroness Kidron had convinced the ministers to make amends to the Online Safety Bill and made the changes.
