45 Bereaved Families Host Vigil, Deliver Open Letter to Meta's Office in NYC Demanding Stronger Protections for Kids Online

45 families gathered outside the Meta offices in Manhattan to honor their children who
have been lost to harms caused by Meta and other social media platforms

The parents delivered an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg signed by more than 10,000 parents, advocates, and concerned individuals as well as 18 child safety organizations calling on the company to take real action to protect the platform's most vulnerable users

**Photos from the event will be available HERE**

NEW YORK, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, 45 families from across the United States and United Kingdom who have lost children to online harms held a vigil outside of Meta's Manhattan office to honor the memories of their kids and to demand action and accountability from the company. The event was organized with support from Heat Initiative, ParentsTogether Action, and Design it For Us.

At the vigil, the parents described the harms their children experienced online, including sextortion, grooming, and cyberbullying, on platforms like Instagram, and called out the refusal of tech companies to make their services safer for kids. They also hand delivered an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg signed by more than 10,000 parents, advocates, and concerned individuals as well as 18 child safety organizations demanding that Meta take urgent and comprehensive action to protect children. While the parents offered moving testimonies, the more than 150 attendees laid flowers outside of the Meta offices in honor of the lives lost and held signs that read, "Meta Profits, We Pay the Price."

The open letter, which can be read HERE, makes three demands:

• Stop Promoting Violent, Racist, Sexual, and Other Dangerous Content to Kids
• Prevent Sexual Predators and Other Bad Actors from Using Meta Platforms to Abuse Kids
• Provide Transparent, Fast Resolutions to Kids' Reports of Problematic Content or Interactions

"As concerned parents, young people, and experts, we write to express our deep concern regarding the safety of children and teens on Instagram and other Meta platforms," wrote the more than 10,000 signatories in their open letter to Mr. Zuckerberg. "Despite earning $164 billion last year, Meta continues to neglect its responsibility to protect young users from harm. The time to act is now."

"I lost my son. I have nothing else to lose," said Mary Rodee, mom of 15 year-old Riley Blasford who died by suicide after falling victim to a sextortion scam on Facebook. "Like so many other families, I've been trying to meet with Mark Zuckerberg for years on this issue, but he refuses. We're all here to show that we're willing to do whatever it takes."

"Over the past few years, it has become abundantly clear to both Meta and the public that Meta's platforms are unsafe for kids. They have the knowledge, public support, and the resources to address the dangers kids face on their platforms every day. Instead, they choose to profit off of these harms," said Sarah Gardner, CEO of Heat Initiative. "We are here to remind Meta that the world is watching and demand they prioritize child safety. Until they do, children will continue to be abused, harassed, and die. Meta has underestimated the power of grief and what parents are willing to do for their children's memory and for other children's futures."

"Kids and teens are dying from social media – from suicide following brutal sextortion or bullying, dangerous viral challenges, declining mental health, eating disorders sparked by filtered images, fentanyl-laced pills bought online, and more. Yet Meta profits, while American families pay the price," said Shelby Knox from ParentsTogether Action. "We are here today demanding Meta take action to protect its young users because we refuse to pay the price of their neglect with the lives of our children."

"We've been the guinea pigs of Big Tech's experiments for decades; it's cost us our mental health, our safety, and in too many cases, our lives," said Zamaan Qureshi, Co-Chair of Design It For Us. "While they bring in billions of dollars, we bear the cost of their negligence. This is no longer a polite request — we are done being an afterthought. If they are serious about protecting young people, we need to see some results. It is time to step up."

Today's demonstration comes as pressure mounts from experts, young people, advocates, and Congress for the company to take action to keep children safe. Even Meta's recent announcement of Instagram Teen accounts is already coming under scrutiny from child safety experts for being woefully insufficient to keep kids safe.

Contact: [email protected]  

SOURCE Heat Initiative