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Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, has spoken out against the introduction of a social media ban for under-16s which is expected soon.
The father of Molly Russell, who took her own life aged 14 after seeing harmful content online, has warned a ban onis expected to announce tomorrow morning that the UK will follow Australia’s lead and prevent young people from accessing certain social media sites.
It comes less than three weeks after the end of a consultation that drew more than 110,000 responses, including tens of thousands from parents across the country. Ian Russell, who set up the Molly Rose Foundation in his daughter’s honour, said he was ‘quite frankly dismayed’ by reports the government is preparing an announcement.
‘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. Cut through political noise and understand how the Westminster chaos actually affects your life with Metro's politics newsletter Alright, Gov? Sign up ‘He seemed concerned. But as we sit here on the verge of this announcement, it seems that he’s not kept either of those promises.
’ Mr Russell added: ‘If he’s playing politics, what he’s doing is gambling with young people’s lives. And I find that deplorable. ’ Molly Russell’s death in November 2017 led to the creation of the suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation told the BBC she would ‘respectfully disagree with some of what he said’, adding there is ‘no one solution to this and there has to be a basket of measures’.
The Culture Secretary said: ‘There is an urgency to this because young people need help now and we cannot stand aside and not act when we see that very clearly.
‘The tech companies have had more than enough time to get their own house in order, and to be able to create products that keep children safe online. ‘If they’re not prepared to do it, they lose the right, frankly, to market their products towards children and I don’t think the A new poll for the Public Policy Research think tank has found the public is largely split on whether children’s social media use should be tackled with a ban or through tighter regulation.
The survey showed 44% of the public wanted to see a ban, while 39% said they would prefer regulation. Tech Secretary Liz Kendall will likely be responsible for setting out the ban However, 54% of parents with a child under 16 said they would back a ban compared to 36% who were in favour of tighter regulation.
, which focuses on suicide prevention, which suggests that only slightly fewer children were seeing harmful content online after the introduction of the Online Safety Act. Those arguing in favour of a ban include Esther Ghey, whose transgender teenage daughter Brianna was stabbed to death in February 2023. : ‘This really calls for strong leadership from Keir Starmer. We are talking about people in this country that he is in charge of.
We are talking about children. Lorry driver arrested after railway bridge collapse on main line into London ‘The longer we delay, the more children’s lives will be lost and the more families will be joining the group we are part of. ’ The government has come under great pressure to block social media for under-16s since shortly after Australia began enforcing its ban in December 2025.
Peers in the House of Lords voted twice to place the measure in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, leading to a compromise where ministers promised ‘some form of age or functionality restrictions’. Craig MunroChocolate bar urgently recalled with 'do not eat' warningUK Getaway
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Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury Treat Daughter Bambi to £5million Mansion Bedroom MakeoverMolly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury have given their three-year-old daughter Bambi a new bedroom makeover at their £5million mansion. The influencer, 27, welcomed a baby boy earlier this month in a Portland maternity suite. The room features a stylish wooden framed double bed, adorable bedside tables and matching lamps, and a balcony area overlooking the room. The balcony area has pink curtains and a blue sky wallpaper with miniature Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters. Bambi's room also features two large pink and white built-in wardrobes, floral wallpaper, and a painted white fireplace with her name 'BAMBI' printed in large pink letters. The interior designer has also shown off Molly and Tommy's new white-themed family room, which features a cosy white L-shaped sofa, a black fireplace, and white cupboards. Molly has added grey wallpaper to the ceiling and a black large ceiling light to complete the room. The exclusive hospital where Molly gave birth is favoured by royals and A-listers, including the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, who welcomed her eldest child, Archie, there. Princess Eugenie and her mother Sarah Ferguson have also enjoyed stays at the hospital. Big-name stars such as Victoria Beckham, Elizabeth Hurley, Jools Oliver, Jemima Goldstein, and Michelle Keegan have chosen the private maternity hospital to give birth to their children over the years. Molly has been incredibly open with her followers about how she struggled with the newborn stage with her first born Bambi. She has said she would have been 'terrified' to see a positive pregnancy test, as she admitted: 'I found the newborn stage so unbelievably difficult and daunting and looking back I can't really say that there was any part of it that I enjoyed.' However, it seems the second time around Molly's experience is already completely 'indescribably' different. Taking to Instagram with a snap of her newborn son, she penned: 'Thank you for healing so many of my newborn fears little one.'
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