A mother pursuing legal action against TikTok following her 14-year-old son’s death expressed frustration over the challenge of seeking information across continents. Ellen Roome suspects her son, Julian “Jools” Sweeney, may have perished due to a social media dare but has encountered obstacles in accessing his account. She joins four other UK families in a significant lawsuit against TikTok for their children’s alleged wrongful deaths.
In an interview with The Mirror, Roome, based in Cheltenham, emphasized her determination to seek justice for her son and other youngsters globally. She criticized TikTok’s refusal to provide Jools’s social media data, accusing the platform of lacking integrity and transparency.
Jools was discovered unconscious in his room in April 2022, with subsequent investigations determining his death as self-inflicted, albeit unintentional. Roome, who has been tirelessly seeking answers since 2024, highlighted the emotional toll of the process and the collective desire among parents for clarity on their children’s tragedies.
The ongoing lawsuit, involving Jools, Isaac Kenevan, Archie Battersbee, Maia Walsh, and Noah Gibson, relates to the “blackout challenge,” a dangerous trend promoting asphyxiation. Despite TikTok’s claims of blocking such content since 2020, Roome’s group is pursuing legal action in the US due to ByteDance’s incorporation in Delaware.
Roome’s advocacy extends to proposing “Jools’ Law” in the UK, advocating for the preservation of a child’s online data posthumously. This initiative aims to set a precedent for global data protection standards, mirroring Jools’s potential pride in effecting change.
Baroness Beeban Kidron’s legislative efforts align with Roome’s cause, urging automatic data preservation upon a child’s death. The upcoming debate on this matter within the Crime and Policing Bill signals potential progress in safeguarding families’ rights in tragic circumstances.
TikTok reiterated its condolences to the affected families and emphasized its strict content policies to deter hazardous behavior. The company assured compliance with UK data protection regulations amidst the ongoing legal dispute.
For mental health assistance, individuals can contact the Samaritans helpline at 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.