Pinterest CEO Reflects on Steps Taken to Protect Young Users After Molly Russell’s Death

Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest since 2022, has spoken publicly for the first time about the tragic death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing self-harm content online. A coroner ruled that the material she encountered contributed significantly to her death. Ready emphasized that Molly’s story serves as a daily reminder of the urgent need for social media platforms to provide safer experiences for young users. He highlighted improvements Pinterest has made, including making accounts for under-16s fully private and ensuring under-18s accounts are private by default. While he acknowledges that Pinterest is not perfect, he stressed that the company has made significant progress. The discussion around social media safety has intensified in the UK, leading to legislation such as the Online Safety Act, though critics argue it does not go far enough. Ready encouraged policymakers to ignore industry pushback claiming safety is impossible. Pinterest also donated to the Molly Rose Foundation, which works to reduce youth suicide. Ready compared social media safety to automotive crash-test standards, advocating for accountability in the tech industry. Experts note that while Pinterest can lead by example, larger platforms like TikTok and Instagram largely dictate industry norms, limiting broader impact.