An American mother has filed a complaint against the TikTok platform after the death of her 10-year-old daughter, who died after a challenge made on the social network.
“I want this company to be held accountable.” Tawainna Anderson, an American mother, has filed a complaint against the social network TikTok after the death of her 10-year-old daughter. The WHYY media tells the tragic story of this child, who died following a challenge carried out on the platform. “It’s time for these dangerous challenges to end, so that others never know the pain of living with this every day,” the mother explained last week during a press conference during which she was accompanied. of his lawyer.
Young Nylah died in December 2021 after trying to complete the “blackout challenge” which aims to choke herself unconscious. A TikTok version reminiscent of the tragic “scarf game”, publicized in France in the 1990s, following which several children lost their lives. After spending several days in intensive care, Nylah succumbed to her injuries. “I have accepted that my daughter’s voice has gone forever. So I’m going to speak for her today,” her mother said. “Something has to change. Something has to stop because I never wish for any other parent to go through what I have been going through every day since December 7th.
“The blackout challenge never trends on TikTok”
According to the mother and her lawyer, Nylah discovered this deadly challenge on a TikTok page that was offered to her by the platform’s algorithm. “This algorithm determined that a murder challenge was suitable for the interests of 10-year-old Nylah Anderson, and she ultimately died as a result,” reads the lawsuit cited by CBS News. According to the document, the social network, particularly popular among young people, was aware of these algorithm problems and these challenges since in April 2021, a 12-year-old boy, Joshua Haileyesus, died in similar circumstances. . “The manufacturer and developer of a product have a responsibility to ensure that this product is safe for its users. An app or product is unsafe if it sends dangerous content like this challenge to a ten-year-old user,” Tawainna Anderson’s attorney said.
In response, TikTok officials distanced themselves from challenges held online, saying they were often posted on other platforms and that “the source is way older and the blackout challenge never trended on TikTok”.