Molly Russell’s dad says rushing social media restrictions ‘deplorable’

The father of a teenager who took her own life after viewing harmful content online has said he is “dismayed” by reports the government is to ban young people from using some social media platforms.

Ian Russell has campaigned for better online protections since his daughter Molly died aged 14. But he has said “sledgehammer techniques like bans” would only cause more problems.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce a crackdown on children’s access to social media next week. Russell told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the process had been “rushed” for political reasons, which he called “deplorable.”

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “We have undertaken a thorough consultation and will set out next steps in due course.”

They added: “The prime minister has been clear that the status quo is not good enough and we need to do more to protect children.

“This is not about politics – it is about protecting children.”

Ahead of the expected announcement, ministers have examined a variety of options for restrictions. They include a blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media as has been introduced in Australia.

The details have not been made public. But some media reports have suggested under-16s could banned from accessing “high-risk” social media platforms, while safer ones would be subjected to restrictions.

Russell told the BBC in January that the government should be enforcing laws already on the books more robustly, rather than imposing bans.

Speaking exclusively to BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said he would be “dismayed” should the announcement include such restrictions.

“In opposition, Keir Starmer promised to tighten up the online safety world by regulating better,” he said.

“Early last year, father to father, I met with him briefly and he was very concerned – and he promised me he would look into effective solutions to deal with this problem.

“But as we sit here on the verge of this announcement, it seems that he’s not kept either of those promises.”

He said the prime minister had “promised a group of bereaved parents” an announcement could be expected by the summer recess, which falls in mid-July, “so he’s rushed that forward for some reason”.

“I can’t think of a reason other than a political reason… if he’s playing politics, what he’s doing is gambling with young people’s lives – and I find that deplorable.”