Seven families in France have sued TikTok, alleging that it failed to prevent the dissemination of harmful content on its platform and that such failure contributed to the suicides of two 15-year-old girls, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Laure Boutron-Marmion told French media on Monday.
Filed at the judicial court in Créteil in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, the lawsuit asserts that TikTok’s algorithm exposed the two teenagers to content that promoted suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. Boutron-Marmion stated, “This collective lawsuit represents the first legal action in Europe targeting TikTok for allegedly harming minors.”
“As a commercial entity supplying products to consumers, including minors, the company has a duty of care to ensure that its products comply with applicable standards and regulations,” she said.
The group’s lawsuit is separate from a criminal charge lodged last year by the parents of an adolescent who committed suicide and died. Marie, whose last name has not been made public, took her own life in 2021 at the age of 15, BBC reported. According to her mother, Marie’s exposure to unrestricted video content on TikTok contributed to her “unfortunate decision.”
One of the other girls involved in the case also died by suicide, and four of the other five young girls have attempted suicide, with at least one developing an eating disorder.
TikTok, a popular social and video-sharing platform, has reported that it has not received any notifications of legal action related to the claims.
The company previously clarified that its community guidelines prohibit the display, promotion, or sharing of suicide or self-harm material.
The complaint adds to TikTok’s mounting legal troubles as the impact of social media on mental health is increasingly scrutinized. In the United States, TikTok, along with Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, faces court cases alleging the platforms are addictive for young users and harmful to their mental health, BBC said.