French Families File Lawsuit Against TikTok For Exposing Teens To Harmful Content

The families aim to hold TikTok legally accountable for its impact on young, vulnerable users.

TikTok, like other social media platforms, has faced widespread criticism regarding its ability to regulate harmful content, especially concerning the mental health of minors.

Source : Unsplash/Olivier Bergeron

Seven French families have sued TikTok, alleging that the platform exposed their teenage children to dangerous content, with two of the teens tragically taking their own lives at the age of 15. This legal action, filed in the Créteil judicial court, marks the first collective lawsuit of its kind in Europe. Lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion, representing the families, stated that TikTok’s algorithm allegedly exposed these adolescents to harmful material promoting suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, potentially contributing to a mental health crisis among young users.

The families aim to hold TikTok legally accountable for its impact on young, vulnerable users. According to Boutron-Marmion, "The parents want TikTok’s legal liability to be recognised in court." She emphasized that TikTok is a commercial entity providing a service to young consumers, most of whom are minors, and should therefore be held responsible for any harm resulting from the content its algorithm promotes.

Longstanding Criticism

TikTok, like other social media platforms, has faced widespread criticism regarding its ability to regulate harmful content, especially concerning the mental health of minors. In the United States, similar legal challenges have been raised against platforms like Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, with hundreds of lawsuits accusing these platforms of fostering addiction among young users and contributing to a mental health crisis among children and adolescents.

TikTok has maintained that it prioritizes the mental health and safety of its users, especially young people. CEO Shou Zi Chew addressed U.S. lawmakers earlier this year, emphasizing that the company has implemented various safeguards designed to protect younger users on the platform. TikTok asserts that these measures are part of its broader commitment to creating a safer online environment. However, the French lawsuit suggests that some parents believe more needs to be done to shield young people from potentially damaging content on the app.