Hand data to bereaved or face prison

TECH bosses face a year in jail if they do not pass on data to parents of youngsters whose suicide is linked to social media.

The amendment to the Online Safety Bill is said to have the backing of Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, who is responsible for the legislation.

Tech firms would have to hand over all relevant content, such as what a victim viewed, algorithms that might have driven harmful material to them, and how they engaged with it.

It was put forward after the parents of Molly Russell, 14, were denied access to their daughter’s online accounts for nearly five years after she took her own life in 2017.