The families of two young girls who died after attempting TikTok's 'blackout challenge' have filed a lawsuit against the social media platform, alleging its algorithms promoted the dangerous content. The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, claims TikTok's 'dangerous algorithm intentionally and repeatedly' pushed videos of the challenge into the children's feeds, leading to their deaths.
Represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC), the families argue that TikTok prioritised profit over safety. 'TikTok has invested billions of dollars to intentionally design products that push dangerous content that it knows is dangerous and can result in the deaths of its users,' said Matthew P Bergman, founding attorney of SMVLC.
One victim, eight-year-old Lalani Erika Renee Walton of Temple, Texas, died on 15 July 2021. Police determined her death was 'a direct result of attempting TikTok's Blackout Challenge'. She had received a phone for her eighth birthday and quickly became addicted to the app, hoping to become 'TikTok famous'. Her family noticed bruising on her neck, which she dismissed as an accident. On the day of her death, she had spent hours watching challenge videos during a road trip.
The other victim, nine-year-old Arriani Jaileen Arroyo of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, died on 26 February 2021 after being found not breathing by her brother. She had been using TikTok multiple times a day and became 'obsessive' about posting dance videos. Despite a family discussion about the risks, she participated in the challenge.
The lawsuit accuses TikTok of promoting harmful content, allowing underage users, and failing to warn about the app's addictive nature. TikTok has faced previous criticism over dangerous challenges, including the 'milk crate challenge' and 'Benadryl challenge', which caused injuries and deaths. The SMVLC claims TikTok knowingly allowed such content to increase engagement and profits.
