Meta and Pinterest believed to have donated to Molly Russell charity

Meta and Pinterest have reportedly made significant donations to the Molly Rose Foundation, a charity set up to campaign for internet safety.

The foundation was set up in the name of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing harmful material linked to suicide and self-harm on social media platforms.

The foundation’s latest annual report refers to grants received from donors who wish to remain anonymous, with trustees agreeing to respect their request.

According to the BBC, these payments are believed to have been made by Meta and Pinterest since 2024 and are expected to continue over a number of years. Details of the amounts reportedly donated have not been disclosed. However, it is understood the Russell family have not received any money from the donation.

“Following the coroner’s inquest into Molly’s death, we have decided that we will pursue the aims we share with Meta and Pinterest through the Molly Rose Foundation to help ensure young people have a positive experience online, instead of pursuing legal action,” the Russell family said in a statement. “We, Molly’s family, have always made clear that we would never accept compensation consequent upon Molly’s death.”

The reported donations come as social media companies face increased criticism over the impact of online platforms on children’s mental health.

In January, as part of sweeping changes to its policies, Meta’s boss, Mark Zuckerberg, said the company would scrap factcheckers in order to boost free speech and reduce “censorship”, and would rely on users to report content.

The Molly Rose Foundation previously warned that Meta’s changes could place young people at greater risk of encountering harmful content online. It has launched campaigns urging the government to strengthen the Online Safety Act and place more responsibility on technology companies for content promoted through algorithms.

According to the BBC, the charity has recruited a chief executive officer, two public policy managers, a head of communications and a fundraising manager within the past nine months.

Ian Russell, Molly’s father, remains an unpaid trustee of the foundation and continues to be a prominent internet safety campaigner.

Meta and Pinterest have been approached for comment by the Guardian.