A British mother has described a pivotal legal hearing in the United States as "deeply painful" as she and other parents continue their fight to hold TikTok accountable for the deaths of their children.
A Mother's Fight for Answers
Ellen Roome, 49, from Gloucestershire, attended the hearing in Delaware, USA, which forms part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance. The case, brought by the Social Media Victims Law Centre, centres on the deaths of five UK children: Ms Roome's 14-year-old son, Jools Sweeney, Isaac Kenevan, 13, Archie Battersbee, 12, Noah Gibson, 11, and Maia Walsh, 13.
The parents believe all five children died in 2022 while attempting a dangerous online stunt known as the 'blackout challenge'. They allege the children encountered the challenge on TikTok, though they currently lack definitive proof. Ms Roome has campaigned tirelessly since her son Jools died at their home in Cheltenham, even selling the financial business she ran for 18 years to fund her efforts for 'Jools' Law', which would grant parents access to a deceased child's data without a court order.
The Legal Battle and Data Dilemma
The hearing, which took place on Saturday 17 January 2026, was a critical step. The judge must now decide whether to dismiss the case or allow it to proceed to the discovery phase. This stage is crucial, as it may force TikTok to recover and hand over data that could reveal what the children were viewing before their deaths.
However, TikTok states that under data privacy rules, this information has likely already been deleted. The company has applied to have the case dismissed, arguing that UK residents are suing US entities that do not operate the platform in the UK, and that established US law protects it from liability for third-party content posted by users.
Ms Roome shared her anguish on Facebook, writing: "Sitting through the hearing was incredibly hard. The language was cold, technical and legal. For the court, this is about motions and procedures. For us, it is about our children. Our dead children." She added that listening to abstract legal arguments while grappling with the reality of their loss was a profoundly difficult experience.
Calls for Accountability and Safer Design
Beyond the lawsuit, Ms Roome and the other families are pushing for systemic change. They advocate for wider reforms to make social media safer for children, moving beyond mere content moderation to address fundamental design issues.
"This is not about banning the internet," Ms Roome has stated previously. "It is about stopping platforms being addictive by design, exposing children to harm, and avoiding responsibility when the worst happens. Children deserve protection. Parents deserve answers. And tech companies must be held to account."
A TikTok spokesperson responded: "Our deepest sympathies remain with these families. We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behaviour... Using robust detection systems and dedicated enforcement teams to proactively identify and remove this content, we remove 99% that's found to break these rules before it is reported to us." The company also emphasised its compliance with the UK's strict data protection laws.
The parents now await the judge's decision, determined to continue their pursuit of truth and justice, hoping their case will force greater transparency and ultimately make the online world safer for other young people.
