Seven families in France have filed a lawsuit against TikTok, claiming the social media platform exposed their teenage children to harmful content, leading to tragic outcomes.
According to their lawyer, Laure Boutron-Marmion, the case alleges that TikTok’s algorithm directed the teens toward videos promoting suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders—content that allegedly contributed to two of the teenagers, both aged 15, taking their own lives.
The families have brought the case to the Créteil judicial court as a joint legal action, marking the first grouped lawsuit of its kind against TikTok in Europe, Boutron-Marmion told franceinfo.
“The parents want TikTok’s legal liability to be recognised in court,” she said, adding: “This is a commercial company offering a product to consumers who are, in addition, minors. They must, therefore, answer for the product’s shortcomings.”
‘There are no guardrails.’ This mom believes an AI chatbot is responsible for her son’s suicide
TikTok, like other social media giants, has long been scrutinised for how it monitors content on its platform.
Similar to Meta, which faces numerous lawsuits over Facebook and Instagram, TikTok has been accused in the United States of allegedly enticing and addicting millions of young users, with claims that this damages their mental health.
TikTok has yet to respond to the latest allegations. However, the company has previously emphasised its commitment to addressing issues related to children’s mental health.
Earlier this year, CEO Shou Zi Chew assured U.S. lawmakers that TikTok has invested in various measures aimed at safeguarding young users on the app.