The grieving mother of Archie Battersbee who died after being in a prolonged coma in a London hospital this month has said social media companies should stamp out harmful online challenges.
Hollie Dance said at least 82 children died globally because of the blackout challenge in the past 14 years and many others were left brain damaged.
“The social media companies don’t do enough to stop harmful content online”, she told the Mirror.
Battersbee was found unconscious at his home in April with signs the boy had placed a cord around his neck, possibly after taking part in an online blackout challenge.
A London hospital earlier this month withdrew life support for the 12-year-old Essex boy after his parents lost a long, emotive and divisive legal battle.
In June, a judge agreed with doctors that Battersbee was “brain-stem dead”, a state that allowed his artificial ventilation to be discontinued, but the family fought in courts to overturn the judgment.
They moved the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which declined to intervene in the case.
Dance said there was online content that encouraged children to get involved in dangerous and sometimes fatal challenges.
“It’s out there and people are grooming our children to do these challenges, it’s disgusting, said, pointing out that it was often adults who demonstrated them.
She said she found a video of a man in his 30s tying something around his neck and pulling it tight.
“This is a grown man demonstrating this ‘trick’ to children. Those people need to be held accountable. The police and the Government need to work together to stop this,” Dance told the Mirror.
She said she would fight for the protection of children at large and “that’s the legacy I want for Archie”.
Battersbee’s death also raised concerns over the delay in the passage of the Online Safety Bill.
Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone has sought tough laws to reign in online content that potentially put young people at risk.
“It’s more than four years since Conservative ministers promised new laws to tackle online harms, but we’re still waiting, ” he said.
A spokesperson for the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the bill will force tech firms to protect children from dangerous viral stunts.
“Failing firms will face huge fines or have their sites blocked,” the spokesperson said.
