The platform and its algorithm are singled out by parents for promoting dangerous videos to their children.
The abject challenges shared on social networks follow each other and unfortunately too often resemble each other. The latest, the “Blackout Challenge” shared on TikTok, is the cause of the death of seven children under the age of 15, in the United States, but also in Italy, or even in Australia.
Seven children who, while scrolling TikTok, came across videos of other users participating in this challenge as stupid as it is dangerous. Because the goal of this famous “blackout Challenge” is to strangle oneself, to cut one’s breath, to choke, using a belt, the strap of a bag, or any other object of this type until turning the eye.
And this is precisely where TikTok is singled out by the parents of the victims: they are suing the social network they deem responsible for the death of their children. Because if the platform defends itself and indicates that it has blocked searches for this kind of dangerous challenge, parents are questioning the algorithm of the social network.
The victims of this aberrant challenge would not have voluntarily sought videos of the “blackout challenge”. The TikTok algorithm would have displayed it directly on the application’s home page. The accusations made by the parents are clear: TikTok and its algorithm deemed the blackout challenge videos to be appropriate and suitable for young children.
Parents of victims suing TikTok believe it has a “duty to monitor videos and challenges shared, posted and/or streamed on its app and platform.” They add that the service must “ensure that dangerous and potentially deadly videos and challenges have not been posted, shared, disseminated, recommended and/or promoted. »
Performing and participating in online challenges has become the very essence of social networks in just a few years. With the power of the algorithms of the different platforms, these challenges generally spread very quickly. If most of them are funny and good-natured, others like the “blackout challenge” are totally unreasonable and lead to drama.
Source :
The Verge