Seven French families have filed a lawsuit against social media giant TikTok, alleging that the platform exposed their adolescent children to harmful content, leading two of them to take their own lives at the age of 15, their lawyer revealed on Monday.
The lawsuit claims that TikTok’s algorithm exposed the teenagers to videos promoting suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion told franceinfo.
The families are pursuing joint legal action in the Créteil judicial court, marking the first case of its kind in Europe.
“The parents want TikTok’s legal liability to be acknowledged in court,” Boutron-Marmion said, emphasizing, “This is a commercial company offering a product to consumers who are, in this case, minors. They must be held accountable for the product’s failures.”
TikTok, like other social media platforms, has faced ongoing scrutiny over its content moderation practices. Similar to Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok faces numerous lawsuits in the US, accusing the platforms of drawing in and addicting millions of young users, potentially harming their mental health.
TikTok could not immediately be reached for comment regarding the allegations. The company has previously stated that it takes child mental health concerns seriously, with CEO Shou Zi Chew informing US lawmakers earlier this year that the company has invested in measures to protect young users on the app.
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