The parents of four British teenagers have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against TikTok, claiming their children died after attempting the viral 'blackout challenge' which spread on the platform in 2021. The suit was lodged on Thursday in the superior court of Delaware by the US-based Social Media Victims Law Center on behalf of the families.
The children are named as Isaac Kenevan, 13, Archie Battersbee, 12, Julian 'Jools' Sweeney, 14, and Maia Walsh, 13, all of whom died in 2022. Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of the law centre, alleged that TikTok's algorithm purposely targeted these children with dangerous content to increase engagement and drive revenue, calling it 'a clear and deliberate business decision' that cost their lives.
TikTok has stated that it has blocked searches for videos or hashtags related to the blackout challenge since 2020 and prohibits dangerous content. The lawsuit, however, accuses the platform of being 'a dangerous and addictive product' that pushes harmful challenges to children based on age and location. It also claims TikTok has downplayed the challenge's presence on its platform to lawmakers globally.
The case follows a US appeals court overturning a dismissal of a similar lawsuit in August 2024, and comes as the UK's Online Safety Act, effective this year, requires social media companies to protect children from dangerous stunts. Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, and Jools's mother, Ellen Roome, are among the plaintiffs; Roome has campaigned for parents' right to access children's social media after her son's death left no clues.
