Media Coverage

Ellen Roome is interviewed on ITV News.

Ellen Roome interviewed alongside Lisa Kenevan on BBC Breakfast.

Ellen Roome and other bereaved parents speak about the social media ban with Sarah-Jane Mee.

Ellen Roome interviewed on 5 News at 5pm.

Ellen Roome interviewed by Nick Ferrari on LBC.

Ellen Roome interviewed on ITV News.

Ellen Roome interviewed on BBC News at 1pm.

Alongside other bereaved parents, Ellen Roome speaks about the UK government's newly announced social media ban for under-16s.

Ellen Roome interviewed by John Kay and Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast.

Ellen Roome interviewed by Christopher Hope on GB News.

Ellen Roome interviewed on GB News Breakfast by Alex Armstrong and Dawn Neesom.

Ellen Roome interviewed on Sky News' News Hour with Jonathan Samuels.

Ellen Roome interviewed on LBC.

Ellen Roome interviewed on Sky News.

Ellen Roome interviewed on ITV News.

Ellen Roome interviewed on GB News.

Ellen Roome interviewed on BBC Breakfast.

Ellen Roome interviewed on The Times Radio.

Ellen Roome interviewed on BBC Radio 4.

LBC interview featuring Ellen Roome MBE and Lauren Cowell discussing the growing harms social media platforms pose to children and young people. The discussion explored the impact of addictive algorithms, exposure to harmful content, online grooming, and the urgent need for stronger protections, including raising the minimum age for social media use to 16. Ellen spoke about her campaign following the death of her son Jools Sweeney and the fight for greater accountability and transparency from technology companies, while Lauren Cowell shared concerns around the wider impact of social media on children’s mental health, safety, and development.

SKY News interview featuring Ellen Roome MBE and Lauren Cowell discussing the growing harms social media platforms pose to children and young people. The discussion explored the impact of addictive algorithms, exposure to harmful content, online grooming, and the urgent need for stronger protections, including raising the minimum age for social media use to 16. Ellen spoke about her campaign following the death of her son Jools Sweeney and the fight for greater accountability and transparency from technology companies, while Lauren Cowell shared concerns around the wider impact of social media on children’s mental health, safety, and development.

Ellen Roome interviewed on BBC Breakfast

Ellen Roome interviewed on 5 Live

Ellen Roome interviewed on ITV News.

Ellen Roome interviewed on LBC.

Ellen Roome interviewed on ITV News.

Ellen Roome interviewed on BBC Breakfast.

Ellen Roome interviewed on ITV Morning News.

Ellen Roome discussing social media and raising the age to 16

Following a landmark legal victory in Los Angeles against social media platforms, Ellen Roome and Andy Burrows from the Molly Rose Foundation discuss why this moment matters and why the UK must now act. These are some of the most powerful companies in the world, but as Ellen makes clear: “I’m not nervous, I’m not frightened. Bring it on.”

Ban social media for under 18s? Ellen Roome, Mike Parry & Zoë Grünewald

Ellen discussing social media ban

Tonight Ellen Roome appeared on ITV News across Anglia, Central, Meridian, Tyne Tees, West Country and Yorkshire, speaking about the urgent need to better protect children online. Ellen is supporting Lord Nash’s proposal to raise the minimum age for social media to 16. Children are being exposed to harmful content far too young, and we must take meaningful action to safeguard them. This is not about restricting childhood, it’s about protecting it. #joolslaw #onlinesafety #raisetheage #globalissue #protectchildren

Ellen Roome MBE appeared live on LBC for Online Safety Day, speaking about why she fully supports MPs voting in the House of Commons to #RaiseTheAge of social media to 16. Ellen’s 14-year-old son Jools died in 2022. Since then, she has been campaigning for change so that children are better protected online and families are able to get answers when tragedy strikes. During the interview, Ellen explained that children are being exposed to harmful content online every single day and that action cannot continue to be delayed while families live with the consequences. She also spoke about the ongoing wait for the Attorney General to approve her application to seek a fresh inquest into Jools’ death. If approved, Ellen will be able to apply to the High Court for a new inquest and use the Data Use and Access Act to request Jools’ social media data in order to understand what happened to her son. 🌐 https://www.joolslaw.co.uk #joolslaw #onlinesafety

An interview with Ross Moss, who lost her daughter Sophie 12 years ago, Hollie Dance, whose son Archie had his accident just six days before Jools, and Ellen Roome, whose son Jools died on 13 April 2022. More than a decade later, we are still having the same conversations about protecting children and accessing their social media data. Why are we still talking about it when children are being harmed and are dying? Only last weekend, Ellen was contacted by the mother of another boy, aged just 15, who had taken his own life. This has to stop!

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott holding news conference. The pair will discuss student loans and social media policy. #conservative #education #socialmedia #live SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos: http://www.youtube.com/skynews Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skynews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skynews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skynews Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skynews For more content go to http://news.sky.com and download our apps: Apple https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-news/id316391924?mt=8 Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bskyb.skynews.android&hl=en_GB Sky News Daily podcast is available for free here: https://podfollow.com/skynewsdaily/ To enquire about licensing Sky News content, you can find more information here: https://news.sky.com/info/library-sales

Ellen Roome appears on BBC Breakfast to discuss the latest progress on Jools’ Law. Following confirmation from Liz Kendall, Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Government has committed to introducing a Jools’ Law amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. The amendment will require social media companies to automatically preserve a child’s social media data within five days of their death, removing barriers for bereaved families seeking answers. This is a vital step forward for transparency and accountability online, ensuring that no grieving parent has to fight simply to access the information that may explain what happened to their child.

Ellen Roome discusses changes to the law following a phone call with Liz Kendall, Secretary of State, confirming the Government’s commitment to incorporate Jools’ Law into legislation.

Ellen Roome appears on GMB to discuss the latest progress on Jools’ Law. Following confirmation from Liz Kendall, Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Government has committed to introducing a Jools’ Law amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. The amendment will require social media companies to automatically preserve a child’s social media data within five days of their death, removing barriers for bereaved families seeking answers. This is a vital step forward for transparency and accountability online, ensuring that no grieving parent has to fight simply to access the information that may explain what happened to their child.

Ellen Roome discusses the latest progress on Jools’ Law. Following confirmation from Liz Kendall, Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Government has committed to introducing a Jools’ Law amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. The amendment will require social media companies to automatically preserve a child’s social media data within five days of their death, removing barriers for bereaved families seeking answers. This is a vital step forward for transparency and accountability online, ensuring that no grieving parent has to fight simply to access the information that may explain what happened to their child.

Ellen Roome talking to ITV West Country 16th Feb 2026 regarding Government decision to include automatic data preservation when a child dies in the Crime and Policing bill.

13th Feb 2026 I had the honour of speaking at the Lost Screen Memorial, part of the #NoChildLostToSocialMedia campaign launched by Archewell Foundation, founded by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to protect children from online harms such as bullying, sexual exploitation and dangerous viral challenges. The memorial stood in Gloria Molina Grand Park, directly across from Los Angeles City Hall and just one block from the courthouse where the landmark social media addiction trials have begun. Fifty illuminated smartphones stood in the park. Fifty children. Fifty lives cut short. Jools is one of them. To see his face shining from one of those screens, in the shadow of the courtroom where families are demanding accountability, was overwhelming. The memorial was spearheaded by Archewell Foundation and supported by ParentsTogether Action and Heat Initiative. It is about humanising what has too often been reduced to statistics. I spoke alongside extraordinary voices including • @jonathanhaidt , author of The Anxious Generation • Sarah Gardner, CEO of Heat Initiative • James Holt from Archewell Foundation • Shelby Knox, Director of Tech Accountability Campaigns at ParentsTogether Action • Lennon Torres, youth LGBTQ+ advocate and Campaigns and Programs Manager at Heat Initiative And most importantly, brave parents who have turned unimaginable grief into action. More than 2,000 plaintiffs are now taking on companies including Meta, Snap Inc., TikTok and Alphabet Inc.. This litigation is already being compared to the cases that changed the course of Big Tobacco. As I said yesterday: since Jools died, social media companies have refused to provide Jools’ full online data about what happened to my son. But here in Los Angeles, his light is shining. And it is shining on a movement that will not stop until there is accountability and change. These are not numbers. They are children. And this does not have to be this way.

Live on Good Morning Britain this morning in the UK Talking about the lawsuit in Los Angeles and why this fight matters so much. I also discussed meeting Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and how I am determined to change the law so no other family is left without answers when a child dies. My words "I'm going to do this, I am going to change the law"!

Parents share their stories of loss outside Snapchat offices in Santa Monica, as they paint the names of children who have died from what they say are harmful social media practices. For video licensing inquiries, contact: licensing@veritone.com

Grieving families gathered outside of social media app Snapchat's headquarters in Los Angeles to protest and remember the lives of their lost children.

Ellen spoke about why she is in Los Angeles, standing alongside other bereaved parents as the landmark case against social media companies unfolds. We cannot ignore what is happening in that courtroom. The BBC also shared a clip from our meeting with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who took time to listen to families like mine and understand the urgent need for change. And today, Adam Mosseri, Instagram's CEO, was in the LA court. These companies are finally being asked difficult questions about how their platforms impact children. This is about truth, transparency, and protecting the next generation.

Live from Santa Monica, we spoke with Sky News as a landmark trial begins in California against major social media companies. The case has been brought by American families who have lost their children. Families who were never warned about online harms, never protected by the platforms their children used, and never given full access to the truth after their deaths. We are here to stand in solidarity with bereaved parents and to make clear that this is not just a US issue or a UK issue. It is a global crisis. The same social media platforms, algorithms, and design choices are affecting children all over the world. This trial matters far beyond the courtroom. It is about accountability, transparency, and whether social media companies can continue to avoid responsibility for the harm caused to children. Parents across the world are watching. And we will not stop asking difficult questions. Thank you to Sky News for giving families a voice and helping shine a light on why this moment matters. #OnlineSafety #ProtectChildren #SocialMediaAccountability #BereavedFamilies #GlobalIssue #StandingTogether #joolslaw

In the House of Lords, the formidable Baroness Beeban Kidron debated what I have come to call Jools’ Law. It was an incredibly powerful and emotional debate, made even more so by the strong, compassionate and supportive contributions from peers across all parties. In particular, the passionate and deeply thoughtful support from Baroness Barran, Lord Clement-Jones, Baroness Benjamin and Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson meant more than I can say. Up in the gallery, bereaved parents (Hollie Dance, Lisa Kenevan & Mariano Janin and I) sat watching in tears, for the first time feeling real hope that this amendment might actually go through. One moment that will stay with me forever was when Baroness Kidron said: “The Government awarded Ellen Roome an MBE recently. I believe, although I have not asked her, that a more fitting recognition would be to give her what she has long fought for, Jools’ Law, by accepting these amendments so that data collection is automatic. They are practical, they are necessary, and they are long overdue.” Baroness Benjamin spoke with enormous compassion and urgency, saying: “After hearing on BBC News this morning some of the heartbreaking stories from bereaved parents who are campaigning on this issue and urging the Government to take more robust action, I was convinced that tragic cases such as these clearly highlight the need for social media companies to be compelled to protect our children and safeguard them from harm......I hope the Government are listening and is Ofcom listening? I want them to listen to these bereaved parents and take further action. I urge the Government to accept these much-needed amendments and act now.” Baroness Diana Barran also paid tribute, saying: “I pay particular tribute to Ellen Roome, mother of Jools, who died inexplicably aged 14. Ellen Roome has found herself at the front of a national call for change in relation to children’s access to social media in general and to these specific issues, which have impacted her family and other families so cruelly. My noble friend Lady Morgan of Cotes, who cannot be with us today, told me how moved she was when we met Ellen recently. I can only agree.” The Minister, Baroness Levitt, does not currently support approving the amendment, citing concerns about administrative burden in cases such as road traffic accidents or illness. However, she has agreed to meet with Beeban, me, and other bereaved parents to discuss this further. Beeban was clear that by the voting stage, likely around April 2026, there is a real opportunity to persuade the House of Lords to pass this amendment and that she wasn't taking no for an answer!!