UK families call for easier access to deceased children’s social media history

In September, a coroner ruled that Molly Russell ‘died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content’. Photograph: Family handout/PA

Bereaved families are calling for easier access to the social media histories of deceased children, supporting amendments to the online safety bill.

The changes have been proposed by Beeban Kidron, a crossbench peer, as the bill returns to parliament on Monday. It is being supported by the family of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old who took her own life in 2017 after months of viewing harmful online content related to suicide, depression, self-harm and anxiety.