TikTok sued over harmful content linked to teen suicides

Seven French families have filed a lawsuit against social media platform TikTok, accusing the company of exposing their teenage children to content that allegedly contributed to their mental health decline, and for two of them, the cause of suicide.

In a case filed at France's Créteil judicial court, the parents claim the platform's algorithm directed their children, all minors, toward harmful content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide. Tragically, two of the children, aged 15, died by suicide, according to Laure Boutron-Marmion, the lawyer representing the families.

According to a report by Reuters on the matter, Boutron-Marmion stated that this lawsuit marks the first joint legal action in Europe aimed at holding TikTok accountable for the consequences of its content algorithm on minors. 

"The parents want TikTok's legal liability to be recognised in court," the lawyer told France Info, a French public service radio broadcaster, explaining, "This is a commercial company offering a product to consumers who are, in addition, minors. They must, therefore, answer for the product's shortcomings."

The lawsuit further intensifies the scrutiny on TikTok and other social media giants regarding their content moderation policies and potential impact on young users, says Reuters. TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has repeatedly faced criticism over content policing and its effect on the mental well-being of its predominantly young user base. It joins Meta's Facebook and Instagram, both of which face hundreds of lawsuits in the United States for allegedly addicting millions of children to their platforms and, in turn, harming their mental health.

TikTok could not be immediately reached by Reuters for comment. However, the company has previously emphasised its commitment to protecting young users on its platform, according to the Reuters report. Earlier this year, TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, assured US lawmakers that the company was investing in measures to safeguard children's mental health.