Seven French families have filed a class action lawsuit against the social network TikTok, accusing the platform of providing access to dangerous content that led to the suicides of two 15-year-olds. The lawsuit was filed in a court in Créteil, and according to lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion, this is the first case of such a lawsuit in Europe, Reuters reports.
The relatives claim that TikTok’s algorithms provided their children with videos promoting suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, with tragic consequences. “Parents want TikTok to be held legally responsible,” Boutron-Marmion told FranceInfo. She added that TikTok, as a commercial platform aimed at young people, should be responsible for the safety of the content available to minors.
TikTok, like other major social platforms, has been criticised for its content monitoring. Similar to Facebook and Instagram, TikTok in the US has faced hundreds of lawsuits over the impact of content on teenagers’ mental health.
TikTok has not yet provided an official comment on the matter. However, company representatives have previously stated that they take children’s mental health issues seriously. This year, CEO Shou Zi Chew told US lawmakers that TikTok is investing in protective measures to ensure the safety of young users of the platform.
The lawsuit highlights the growing discontent in Europe over the impact of TikTok’s algorithms on teenage audiences, and its outcome could have serious implications for the regulation of social media platforms in the EU.
