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UK to Amend Crime and Policing Bill After Bereaved Mother’s Campaign for ‘Jools’ Law

The change would require automatic preservation of a child’s social media data in the days following a death.

Overview

  • Ellen Roome said on BBC Breakfast that her years-long campaign has secured a commitment to implement Jools’ Law through changes to the Crime and Policing Bill.
  • Under the reported amendment, social media and related digital data would be preserved automatically for a short period after a child dies to prevent loss of potential evidence.
  • Roome explained the reform is intended to help other families even though it may not resolve unanswered questions in her own case.
  • Her son Jools died at 14 in April 2022 after an online challenge went wrong, with a coroner returning a narrative verdict that ruled out suicide.
  • A pre-recorded clip showed Roome confronting tech firms in New York over parental access to deceased children’s accounts, and presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay appeared visibly moved during the interview.