A group of British parents who believe social media contributed to the deaths of their children have taken action by travelling to the US to advocate for better online safety measures for children. Four families made the journey to New York City to join hundreds of others in protesting outside the offices of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Mark Kenevan, the father of Isaac who passed away at the age of 13 after participating in a social media challenge, expressed their plea for assistance in protecting children.
The families’ visit coincided with an announcement from media regulator Ofcom stating that websites will soon be mandated to block children’s access to harmful content to continue operating in the UK, starting in July. Additionally, websites will be required to implement stricter age verification processes, as outlined in the final children’s code of practice released on Thursday. The journey of the British parents was documented by BBC Breakfast as they walked alongside American families through the streets of New York City, some holding signs criticizing Meta for profiting at the expense of children.
Lisa Kenevan, Isaac’s mother, shared that the collective strength of the families coming together has provided them with a stronger voice that will not waver. Despite a coroner attributing Isaac’s demise in 2022 to accidental misadventure, the Kenevans lay blame on social media platforms for their role in the tragedy. Alongside several other families, they pursued a wrongful death lawsuit against TikTok in the US, accusing the platform of promoting dangerous challenges and pranks to children to increase engagement time
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