French families sue TikTok for exposing minors to harmful content

Seven families in France have initiated a lawsuit against TikTok, claiming the platform exposed their teenage children to harmful content, which contributed to two of the teens taking their own lives at the age of 15.

The lawsuit asserts that TikTok's algorithm directed the seven adolescents to videos that promoted suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, as explained by lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The families have come together to file their legal action in the Créteil judicial court, marking what Boutron-Marmion described as the first grouped case of its kind in Europe. "The parents want TikTok's legal liability to be recognized in court," she stated, emphasizing that as a commercial entity providing a product to consumers, including minors, the company must be held accountable for the shortcomings of its product.

TikTok has faced ongoing scrutiny regarding its content moderation practices, similar to other social media platforms like Meta's Facebook and Instagram, which are embroiled in numerous lawsuits in the US that accuse them of luring and addicting millions of children, thereby harming their mental health.

TikTok did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the allegations. However, the company has previously stated that it takes issues related to children's mental health seriously. CEO Shou Zi Chew told US lawmakers earlier this year that TikTok has invested in measures to safeguard young users on the platform.

By Vafa Guliyeva