Six Families Take TikTok to Court After Fatal “Choking” and “Blackout” Challenges; Lawsuits Highlight Alleged Algorithmic Dangers and Social Media Addiction

Six families from the United States and the United Kingdom have filed lawsuits against TikTok following the deaths of their children, aged 8 to 17, who participated in dangerous viral challenges promoted on the platform, including the “choking challenge” and the “blackout challenge.” The plaintiffs allege that TikTok’s algorithm deliberately exposed minors to harmful content, creating addictive patterns that encouraged risky behaviour, and have criticised the company for failing to provide transparency regarding what their children viewed. TikTok has defended itself under the First Amendment and the Communications Decency Act, arguing that it