TikTok 'Blackout Challenge' death: UK court orders new investigation

A new judicial investigation will examine the role of social media in the death of a 14-year-old boy who died after allegedly participating in a TikTok viral challenge known as the "Blackout Challenge."

Julian “Jools” Sweeney was found dead in his room in April 2022. An investigation in September of that year did not reach a conclusion. His mother, Ellen Roome, believes social media played a key role, stating her son participated in the "Blackout Challenge," a viral TikTok trend involving self-asphyxiation.

"We hope this will be a turning point, not only to find the truth about Jools but to make the online world safer for every child," Roome told the media after the High Court decided to suspend the principal coroner's resolution. This measure was made possible by an appeal filed by Jools' mother. "Let's hope it shows that, going forward, social media companies must step up and protect children online," Roome stated.

Roome will use the Online Safety Act of 2023 and the Data Use Act of 2025, which were not in effect during the initial investigation. These laws will allow the UK's independent regulator, Ofcom, to request Jools' digital history from social media platforms, including content he viewed or posted. "I cannot live the rest of my life without trying to find answers as to why my son is not here," Roome emphasized. She has been advocating for "Jools' Law," which would compel social media companies to preserve a minor's digital data for five days after their death.

Neither the coroner's office nor TikTok opposed reopening the investigation. Lawyers for Roome presented evidence that "a series of lines of inquiry" were not followed in the original investigation, directly affecting TikTok and the data it holds. Lord Justice Warby and Justice Heather Williams overturned the original conclusion and ordered a new hearing. Roome believes this reopening will serve as a useful precedent for parents who suspect social media's role in their children's deaths.