TikTok has been sued by seven families in France, who accuse the social media giant of exposing their children to dangerous content – leading two to take their own lives.
The lawsuit alleges that the video platform’s algorithm exposed them to content that promotes self-harm, eating disorders and suicide, said Laure Boutron-Marmion, a lawyer for the families.
He told French media that the case is the first of its kind in Europe.
TikTok, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, said it had not received any notice of legal action related to the allegations.
The company added in a statement that its public guidelines do not allow the display, promotion or sharing of plans for suicide or self-harm, and that it uses a combination of technology and moderation to ensure that these standards are maintained.
The group’s case, filed in the court of judges in Créteil, is different from the criminal complaint filed by TikTok last year by the parents of Marie – one of the two teenagers who committed suicide.
Marie, whose last name was not used in the report, was 15 when she took her own life in 2021. His death, according to his mother, was partly due to the video content he was able to access on TikTok without being limited.
Another girl whose family is involved in the case also died by suicide, while four out of five young women attempted suicide. At least one of them had an eating disorder.
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“The parents want TikTok to be legal in court,” Ms Boutron-Marmion told broadcaster Franceinfo.
“This is a commercial company that provides a product to consumers, moreover, small ones. Therefore, they have to answer for the shortcomings of the product.”
TikTok, like other major social networks, has faced scrutiny and criticism for its security practices.
More than a dozen US states recently sued the company – blaming it for helping to drive the mental health crisis among young people.
Last year, the European Union opened an investigation into whether it had breached new child protection laws, among other areas.
In an interview in April, Ms Boutron-Marmion told French legal website Actu-Juridique that cases like Molly Russell’sa British schoolgirl who killed herself in 2017 after seeing graphic images of self-harm and suicide online on Instagram and Pinterest, was raising awareness of the need for greater accountability when it comes to social media content.
“Parents are starting to wake up. Many of them were not aware of the horrors that were going around in the fields. Although I have seen a change in mentality, the problem remains: addiction continues, including among adults.”
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