As Big tech found liable for harm it’s now up to Government to Act
Molly Rose Foundation is calling for the Government to act after Meta and Google were found liable for social media harm in lawsuits in the US.
Following the lawsuits in Los Angeles and New Mexico our CEO Andy Burrows appeared on BBC Breakfast and called for a new Online Safety Act to be announced in the upcoming King’s Speech.
His calls were echoed by our Chair Ian Russell who gave evidence against Meta in the New Mexico trial.
In his evidence against Meta, Ian said: “That inescapable stream of harmful content, the cumulative effect that content would have had on a growing brain, a young person, a 14-year-old, turned Molly from that bright, hopeful young person into someone who unbelievably thought she was a burden and a problem and that the best thing for her to do would be to end her life.”
Molly Rose Foundation is urging Government to ban addictive features on social media and go further with new legislation that embeds safety and wellbeing across the games and apps children use.
Responding to the rulings, Ian Russell said: “My daughter Molly died in part due to the business models of Instagram that drove incredibly harmful content at her at a frightening scale.
“But nothing has materially changed at the heart of the tech companies who continue to monetise misery. We now need political will from Governments to turn these landmark rulings into a fundamental shift in the business models and features that drive harmful content and keep our children hooked on social media.
“Keir Starmer could stand up for families everywhere by committing to a clampdown on addictive features alongside a new Online Safety Act that drives safety and wellbeing into the heart of platforms, rather than bans that will quickly unravel. The clamour for change has never been louder and if we take this opportunity we can fundamentally change tech for the good.”
Andy Burrows added: “As the dust settles on the rulings out of LA and New Mexico it is time to draw a line in the sand that companies cannot cross when it comes to protecting children online.
“Keir Starmer is right that more needs to be done and he can start by banning addictive design features in the UK off the back of the national conversation.
“But he can and must go further if we are to truly make this a watershed moment for Big Tech. The Prime Minister should use the King’s Speech to announce a new Online Safety Act that delivers strong regulation with the teeth required to make companies fundamentally change their business models.”
Our Harmful tech is not Inevitable campaign is calling an end to unsafe business models that put children at risk. You can join the campaign by signing our open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to act decisively.