TikTok sued by French family over harmful content

In France, seven families have filed a lawsuit against TikTok, claiming that the social media platform exposed their children to harmful content, which allegedly contributed to two of them taking their own lives.

The families’ lawyer, Laure Boutron-Marmion, stated that TikTok’s algorithm exposed these young users to videos promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and suicidal behavior. She noted this legal action is the first of its kind in Europe against the platform.

TikTok, one of the most widely used social media apps globally, said it had not received any formal notification of these legal proceedings. The company emphasized that its community guidelines strictly prohibit content related to self-harm or suicide and highlighted its use of technology and human moderation to enforce these rules.

This lawsuit, filed in the Créteil judicial court, is distinct from a previous criminal complaint made by Marie’s parents, a young girl who took her own life at 15 in 2021. Her mother attributes her daughter’s death partly to the content she viewed on TikTok without any filtering.

Another teenager named in the lawsuit also died by suicide, while four other young individuals involved reportedly attempted suicide, with at least one of them developing an eating disorder.

"The families want TikTok to be held legally accountable," Ms. Boutron-Marmion told Franceinfo. "As a commercial entity offering a service to consumers, including minors, TikTok should answer for the product’s failings."

TikTok, like other social media platforms, faces ongoing scrutiny over its safety measures. Recently, several U.S. states filed lawsuits against the company, accusing it of contributing to a youth mental health crisis. In addition, the European Union began an investigation last year into whether TikTok violated new safety regulations intended to protect minors.

In an April interview with Actu-Juridique, Ms. Boutron-Marmion referenced the case of Molly Russell, a British teenager who died by suicide in 2017 after exposure to graphic self-harm content on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. She expressed that such cases have heightened awareness about social media accountability and noted that more parents are realizing the dangers that can lurk on these platforms. Despite increasing awareness, addiction remains a significant issue, affecting both young people and adults alike.