Brianna Ghey’s mother calls on Keir Starmer to ban social media for under 16s
In a letter to Starmer, she explained that Brianna had become fixated on TikTok influencers
By Callum Wells
The mother of Brianna Ghey has called on prime minister Keir Starmer to introduce a ban on social media use for children under 16.
Esther Ghey said her daughter’s mental health struggles, including an eating disorder and self-harm, were worsened by content she consumed online. In a letter to Starmer, she explained that Brianna had become fixated on TikTok influencers.
“Brianna had a social media addiction and struggled with her mental health from the age of 14. She developed an eating disorder and was self-harming, and all of this was significantly exacerbated by the harmful content she was consuming online,” Ghey wrote.
“I was constantly having heated conversations with Brianna, who became determined that she wanted to be both TikTok famous and a sex worker” – Esther Ghey
She added that Brianna – who was murdered in Warrington in 2023 – wanted to be “both TikTok famous and a sex worker” and that monitoring her online activity was difficult.
“I was constantly having heated conversations with Brianna, who became determined that she wanted to be both TikTok famous and a sex worker.
“Alongside this, I was in constant fear about who Brianna might be speaking to online. I tried to monitor her phone through spot checks, but she was able to hide things from me very easily.”
Ghey’s letter, which was also sent to Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch, forms part of a wider campaign by bereaved parents calling on the government to restrict social media access for younger teenagers.
Brianna, who was transgender, was killed by two teenagers in a 2023 attack
The parents have thrown their support behind a proposed amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill from Conservative peer John Nash. The amendment would prohibit under-16s from using social media within a year of the law passing and has backing from peers across the political spectrum, including Labour’s Luciana Berger.
Brianna, who was transgender, was killed by two teenagers in a 2023 attack. Before her death, she had developed friendships with one of her killers, who at one point attempted to poison her with ibuprofen, falsely claiming it was MDMA. Ghey said her daughter had also been accessing dangerous content on the dark web.
In the letter to Starmer, Ghey and other parents emphasised the impact of social media on young people’s development:
“We are allowing an entire generation to have their time, attention, and potential consumed by platforms designed to keep them hooked.”
More than 60 Labour MPs, including former ministers and select committee chairs, have written to Keir Starmer calling for a ban
The government has indicated it will publish a consultation this week on child safety online, including possible restrictions on social media, but it is not yet clear if this will sway MPs and peers.
More than 60 Labour MPs, including former ministers and select committee chairs, have written to Starmer calling for a ban. The prime minister said he is open to considering measures but raised concerns about possible unintended consequences, such as children turning to the dark web.
“I think we need to do more to protect children and that’s why we’re looking at a range of options and saying that no options are off the table. We’re obviously looking at what’s happened in Australia [which enacted a ban in December] – something I have discussed with the Australian prime minister,” Starmer said on Monday (21 January).
Subscribe to Attitude magazine in print, download the Attitude app, and follow Attitude on Apple News+. Plus, find Attitude on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.
