Queensland family urges social media firms to protect children after 12-year-old’s suicide
Savannah Forbes, aged 12, died by suicide at her home in Gladstone, Queensland, on 29 September, shortly after an upbeat family dinner. Police found distressing material on her phone containing conversations about suicide and self-harm, prompting her family to call on social media companies to do more to protect children from such harmful online content.
Savannah appeared happy during the family meal but had been struggling with bullying, and her behaviour had noticeably changed. Her mother sought help from a GP who referred her to mental health services, but faced a lengthy waiting list. Despite Australia introducing social media age-restriction laws banning users under 16, Savannah was still able to access her accounts. TikTok reported deactivating over 550,000 underage accounts when the laws came into effect and removes approximately 24,000 suspected underage accounts each month.
- Twelve-year-old Savannah Forbes died by suicide after exposure to online self-harm content and discussions.
- Her family blames social media platforms for failing to adequately protect vulnerable children online.
- Age-restriction laws existed but were not effective in preventing her account access.
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A twelve-year-old girl in Queensland has died by suicide. Her family found distressing material on her phone involving discussions of suicide and self-harm, and has called for social media companies to do more to protect children from such harmful content online.
The girl had been struggling with bullying and her behaviour had changed noticeably. Her mother sought help through the GP and was referred to mental health services, but faced a lengthy waiting list before support became available.
Australia recently introduced laws to prevent anyone under sixteen from accessing social media, aiming to shield younger users from harmful online material and contact. This case highlights the challenges in enforcing such restrictions, as the girl was still able to access her accounts despite the new rules in place. Social media companies have reported removing large numbers of underage accounts since the laws came into effect.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Social media companies possess sophisticated technologies for age verification and content moderation that remain underutilised despite their legal obligations and the documented risks to vulnerable young users. Their business models create misaligned incentives towards maximising engagement over safety, and their current safeguarding efforts appear insufficient to prevent children's exposure to harmful material about self-harm and suicide.
The case against
This tragedy involves multifactorial causes—inadequate mental health services, offline bullying, insufficient clinical support—that technology cannot address alone. Companies already invest in safety measures within legal frameworks; the fundamental responsibility for protecting vulnerable young people rests with parents, schools, and healthcare systems rather than with platforms that cannot substitute for genuine clinical intervention.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Savannah, 12, took her own life after an upbeat family dinner. Her devastated mum says social media giants ‘let her down’”.