One Mother’s Fight Just Changed the Law

In April 2022, Ellen Roome’s 14-year-old son Jools died. Ellen sought access to his social media accounts to understand what had happened, what he’d been exposed to, what he’d been interacting with. The companies refused—citing data protection policies and terms of service.

Ellen could have accepted this. Instead, she dedicated herself to finding out what happened to her son, and to ensuring no other parent faces the same barriers she did.

Today, that persistence became law. The UK government has announced it will table amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, making Jools’ Law a reality. It will automatically preserve children’s social media data when they die and give bereaved parents direct access—no court orders, no corporate gatekeeping. It’s the first law of its kind anywhere in the world. Thanks to Jools’ Law, a source of evidence can no longer be withheld by a key defendant.

The suite of measures announced today also looks critically at rapidly developing AI technology, such as chatbots, and the resulting implications for children – a start to ensuring laws stop lagging behind innovations in technology, with children and families paying the price.

Why This Matters

We first met Ellen in New York last year, where she shared Jools’ story with the same determination that’s now changed the law. Jools is one of the faces featured in our Lost Screen Memorial, a reminder of why this work matters.

Ellen’s strength isn’t unique—it’s what we’ve seen from every bereaved parent we’ve worked with. Their grief becomes purpose. Their loss becomes advocacy. And now, their fight has become law.

To parents currently facing this struggle: you should never have been put through this. Change is possible. Ellen has proven it.

We also owe a special thanks to Baroness Beeban Kidron, who helped inspire our own work. By championing Ellen’s campaign in the Lords, she ensured it could actually become law.

One parent can change everything. Thousands of families will now have answers because Ellen Roome refused to back down and give up.

Thank you, Ellen, and all of our courageous parents.

Listen to Ellen tell Jools’s story as part of the Lost Screen Memorial, here.