Lawsuit alleges harmful content on TikTok contributed to deaths of two teens

What conscionable happened? The effect that societal media platforms person connected young users' intelligence wellness is erstwhile again nether scrutiny aft French families of 7 teenage girls revenge a suit against TikTok. They allege that nan level exposed their teenage children to harmful contented that led to 2 of them taking their ain lives astatine 15.

Filed successful nan Créteil judicial court, nan suit claims that TikTok's algorithm suggested videos to nan teens that promoted suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

"The parents want TikTok's ineligible liability to beryllium recognised successful court," lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion told broadcaster franceinfo. "This is simply a commercialized institution offering a merchandise to consumers who are, successful addition, minors. They must, therefore, reply for nan product's shortcomings."

In September 2023, nan family of 15-year-old Marie revenge criminal charges against TikTok aft her death, accusing nan level of "inciting suicide," "failure to assistance a personification successful danger," and "promoting and advertizing methods for self-harm," writes Politico. TikTok's algorithm allegedly trapped Marie successful a bubble of toxic contented linked to bullying she knowledgeable because of her weight.

TikTok is facing galore lawsuits successful nan US complete claims that it is harmful to young people's intelligence health. In 2022, nan families of respective children who died while trying to participate successful a vulnerable TikTok situation sued nan institution and its parent, ByteDance, aft nan app allegedly recommended videos of nan 'blackout' strangulation situation to nan minors, each of whom were 10 years aged aliases under.

Last month, a group of 14 authorities attorneys wide filed lawsuits against TikTok, accusing it of harming children's intelligence wellness and violating user protection laws. It's alleged that TikTok uses manipulative features to support young users connected nan level for longer. These see endless scrolling, autoplay videos, and predominant push notifications.

It's not conscionable TikTok that remains nether nan spotlight complete nan alleged harms it tin origin young people. All societal media platforms look nan aforesaid scrutiny. In October past year, nan attorneys wide of complete 40 US states sued Facebook for harming children's intelligence health.

In a Senate online kid information proceeding successful January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to parents successful nan assemblage who said Instagram contributed to their children's suicides aliases exploitation.

The effect of societal media connected nan intelligence wellness of not conscionable children but besides adults led to nan US Surgeon General calling connected Congress to use cigarette-style labels connected these sites and apps that alert users to nan imaginable harms they cause.

Social media companies usually hide down Section 230 of nan 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields them from liability for user-posted content.

TikTok still faces a imaginable prohibition successful nan US. Due to nationalist information concerns complete its Chinese ownership, President Joe Biden signed authorities successful April requiring ByteDance to divest its US operations by January 19, 2025, aliases look a nationwide ban.

Masthead: Olivier Bergeron