Six families sue TikTok after their kids die trying viral ‘choking challenge’
Families sue TikTok over children’s deaths linked to viral challenge
- Six families, including one from the U.S. and five from the UK, are suing TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, after their children died attempting the “Blackout Challenge” on the platform.
- The lawsuit, filed in Delaware, alleges that TikTok's algorithm exposed the teenagers, aged 11 to 17, to dangerous content that encouraged them to choke themselves until they passed out.
- Families' lawyer, Matthew Bergman, claims TikTok “deluges young people” with harmful material and is supporting Jools' Law, which would mandate social media companies preserve a deceased child's online data.
- TikTok has argued for dismissal, citing First Amendment rights, the Communications Decency Act, and questioning the Delaware court's jurisdiction over the British cases.
- The company stated its deepest sympathies are with the families, adding that it strictly prohibits and proactively removes content promoting dangerous behavior, with 99 percent of rule-breaking material removed before being reported.