UMVA has learned that Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old who took her own life after viewing harmful content online, has warned that a rushed social media ban would be "deplorable".
Molly's death in November 2017 led to the creation of the suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation. Ian Russell has been campaigning for better online protections ever since.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Russell expressed concern that the government may be playing politics with young people's lives. He stated, "If he's playing politics, what he's doing is gambling with young people's lives. And I find that deplorable."
Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, responded to Russell's comments, saying she would "respectfully disagree with some of what he said". She emphasized that there is "no one solution to this and there has to be a basket of measures" to address the issue.
Nandy also stated that the tech companies have had enough time to create products that keep children safe online. She added, "If they're not prepared to do it, they lose the right, frankly, to market their products towards children."
A recent poll found that the public is largely split on whether children's social media use should be tackled with a ban or through tighter regulation. However, 54% of parents with a child under 16 said they would back a ban.
The government has come under pressure to block social media for under-16s since Australia began enforcing its ban in December 2025. The UK government may follow Australia's lead in allowing under-16s to access some curated social media sites while blocking access to others.
Esther Ghey, whose transgender teenage daughter Brianna was stabbed to death in February 2023, has called for strong leadership from the government to address the issue. She stated, "This really calls for strong leadership from Keir Starmer. We are talking about people in this country that he is in charge of. We are talking about children."
The debate on social media regulation continues, with many arguing that a ban or stricter regulations are necessary to protect young people from harm.
