New powers will prevent tech companies from blocking bereaved families, say peers

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The government has promised new legal powers to ensure bereaved families aren't 'blocked' by tech companies if their children die after accessing content online harmful.

Culture Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has bowed to calls from the House of Lords for families and coroners to be allowed access to information held by tech companies who could help identify the cause of death of a child.

Coroners are legal officials responsible for giving a cause of death in circumstances such as suicides.

The Crossbench counterpart Baroness Kidron has called on ministers to give coroners the legal power to request information from Facebook and other 'service providers' that may be relevant to the death of a child who used their platform -shape.

Lord Parkinson said the government would 'put out a package of measures' to respond to his proposals when the House of Lords enters the final stages of its line-by-line scrutiny of the draft Online Safety Act.

He told his peers: "The package of amendments will ensure that coroners have access to the expertise and information they need to carry out their inquests, including including information held by technology companies, regardless of size."

We need to ensure that companies do not cannot block parents who have lost a child and that those parents are treated with the humanity and compassion they deserve

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay

Lord Parkinson added: "It includes information about how a child has interacted with specific content online as well as the role of process systems, such as algorithms, in promoting it.

"The changes we will be proposing will also help to ensure that the data access process is simpler and more humane. Larger companies should ensure they are transparent with parents about their data access options and should respond promptly to their requests.

"We need to ensure that companies cannot block parents who have lost a child and that these parents are treated with the humanity and compassion they deserve."

Lady Kidron, filmmaker and online children's rights advocate, previously said to the Lords that she would withdraw her proposed amendments to the Bill because of government promises.< /p>

She said: "While the parents fought...