After the murder of trans teen Brianna Ghey shocked the nation, Ghey’s mother is calling for “drastic action” and says the current Online Safety Act is “not enough” to prevent harm to children. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on the other hand, is having none of it.
Mother’s Call for Child Protection
The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey advocated for “drastic action” from the government to protect children from online abuse and called the current Safety Act “not enough.”
Rishi Sunak has publicly stated that he believes the Online Safety Act is fine the way it is, despite the broken-hearted mother’s reaction to the measures.
Social Media Restrictions
Esther Ghey stressed the need to prevent children from being able to log in to social media apps, reiterating her stance despite the prime minister’s confidence in the new law.
“I would like to see the law change so that children only have access to children’s mobile phones, and that could look exactly the same as an adult’s mobile phone but without the ability to download social media apps, and there is software available already,” said Ms Ghey.
Tragic Murder
The murder case involving Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, who killed transgender teenager Brianna Ghey when she was 16, has been a catalyst for Esther Ghey’s campaign.
Scarlett Jenkinson was known to have had access to disturbing content on the dark web in the months leading up to the murder of Brianna Ghey, along with having an interest in violence, including murder and torture.
Ms Ghey bravely revealed her desire to meet with one of her daughter’s killers’ parents to show how difficult it is for parents to monitor their children’s activity online.
Online Safety Act as a Step in the Right Direction
While acknowledging the Online Safety Act as a “step in the right direction,” Esther Ghey believes it falls short of providing adequate protection for children against harmful online content.
Ms Ghey expressed scepticism about the Online Safety Bill’s ability to police the vast expanse of the internet and social media effectively.
“I don’t think the Online Safety Bill is enough. The internet and social media is so vast, I think it will be so hard to police,” she said in an interview.
Hateful Comments and the Impact on Public
Ms Ghey voiced concerns about hateful comments on social media platforms, “The second point is as well, that comments and free speech – and don’t get me wrong I am all for free speech,” she insisted.
“But some of the comments I have seen on social media posts and some of the articles that I’ve done, they are just hateful comments,” noted Ms Ghey.
Advocating for smartphone companies to embrace a moral responsibility, Ms Ghey stressed the necessity for laws to ensure proper enforcement instead of focusing on money.
“Smartphone companies should have a moral responsibility and you should really want to do more,” said Ms Ghey.
Cross-Party Support for Mindfulness in Schools
Ms Ghey believed that introducing “mindfulness” in schools can contribute significantly to the mental well-being of young people.
Ms Ghey discusses her campaign to introduce “mindfulness” into the curriculum, “So just as you would go to the gym and you would lift heavy weights to build muscle and to become fit, it’s the same thing for your mind,” she said.
Life Sentences for Jenkinson and Ratcliffe
Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, convicted for Brianna Ghey’s murder, received life sentences at Manchester Crown Court with minimum terms of 22 years and 20 years before a decision on parole.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insists the current laws on Online Safety are sufficient, and recently mocked the trans community in a debate with Sir Keir Starmer while murdered trans teen Brianna Ghey’s mother was present.
Brianna Ghey’s mother refuses to get sucked into Sunak’s politics and insists she’s too busy “focusing” on changing laws in her daughter’s name.
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The post Not Enough: Mother of Brianna Grey Wants the PM to Do More For Online Safety first appeared on Edge Media.
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