TikTok Sued in US After Children Allegedly Died Doing Blackout Challenge

Video-sharing sensation TikTok is being sued in California after youngsters died whereas collaborating in a “Blackout Challenge” that makes a sport of choking oneself till passing out.

The lawsuit filed in state court docket in Los Angeles final week accuses TikTok software program of “intentionally and repeatedly” pushing the Blackout Challenge that led to the deaths of an eight-year-old lady in Texas and a nine-year-old lady in Wisconsin final yr.

“TikTok needs to be held accountable for pushing deadly content to these two young girls,” mentioned Matthew Bergman, an legal professional on the Social Media Victims Law Centre, which filed the go well with.

“TikTok has invested billions of dollars to intentionally design products that push dangerous content that it knows are dangerous and can result in the deaths of its users.”

TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The go well with alleges that TikTok’s algorithm promoted the Blackout Challenge to every of the women, who died from self-strangulation — one utilizing rope and the opposite a canine leash.

It moreover listed youngsters in Italy, Australia and elsewhere whose deaths have been linked to the TikTok Blackout Challenge.

TikTok has featured and promoted an array of challenges by which customers movie themselves collaborating in themed acts which might be generally harmful.

Among the litany of TikTok challenges described in court docket paperwork was the “Skull Breaker Challenge” by which folks have their legs kicked out from beneath them whereas leaping in order that they flip and hit their heads.

The “Coronavirus Challenge” includes licking random gadgets and surfaces in public throughout the pandemic, and the “Fire Challenge” includes dousing issues with flammable liquid and setting them ablaze, court docket paperwork mentioned.

The go well with requires a choose to order TikTok to cease hooking youngsters by way of its algorithm and selling harmful challenges, and to pay unspecified money damages.