Parents Sue TikTok, Saying Children Died After Viewing ‘Blackout Challenge’ – The New York Times
A lawsuit was filed on Thursday by the parents of two girls who died after viewing a “blackout challenge” on TikTok. The suit claims TikTok’s algorithm intentionally served the children dangerous content and failed to take significant action to stop the videos or warn parents.
Arriani got a phone at age 7, signed up for TikTok, and soon discovered challenges. Her parents thought these challenges were harmless, and did not regard them as dangerous. However, at age 9, she died after attempting this dangerous challenge.
Lalani also died after hanging herself from her bed while attempting TikTok’s “Blackout Challenge”.
Lalani and Arrani are not the only children to die while allegedly attempting the blackout challenge, several other children have also lost their lives while giving the challenge a shot.
TikTok needs to be held accountable for pushing deadly content to two young girls, said Matthew P. Bergman, founding lawyer of the Social Media Victims Law Center. A TikTok spokeswoman said the blackout challenge “long predates our platform” and would remove related content if found.
Dangerous online challenges have circulated on the internet for years. This include challenges that involve biting or swallowing Tide pods, consuming large amounts of Benadryl, or getting out of a moving car to dance on the street.
Social media sites like TikTok promote content based on a user’s preferences, and children may be exposed to inappropriate content without parental controls.
For more information on this story, check out the following news outlets listed below.
- Parents Sue TikTok, Saying Children Died After Viewing ‘Blackout Challenge’ The New York Times
- Families suing TikTok, claiming daughters died attempting viral ‘blackout challenge’ KFOX El Paso
- Texas girl dies while attempting TikTok ‘Blackout Challenge’ KXAN.com
- Families sue TikTok after girls died while trying ‘blackout challenge’ The Guardian
- Parents of children who died during ‘Blackout Challenge’ sue TikTok Milwaukee Journal Sentinel