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Seven French families have decided to file a complaint against the Chinese giant Tiktok. They blame the platform for having led their children into a negative spiral, which led some to suicide.
This is a great first in Europe. Seven French families are suing TikTok for its effects on young people’s mental health. Parents accuse the Chinese social network of promoting suicide, self-harm and even eating disorders.
TikTok in the sights of French justice
If the seven families are filing a complaint today against the social network Tiktok, it is because they accuse it of having participated “to the deterioration of the mental health of their children, leading to the suicide of two of them”, specifies the site Public Senate.
In this case, in fact, the impact of TikTok on the seven teenagers has serious consequences: two teenagers committed suicide at the age of 15, four others attempted to end their lives and the last suffered from mental health problems. food.
Through this legal summons, the Algos Victima collective – set up at the initiative of Laure Boutron-Marmion, the lawyer for one of the families – therefore wishes “fight for the recognition of the legal responsibility of digital platforms in cases of harm inflicted on minor users.”
Concretely, the families hope that justice will finally condemn the Chinese social network for having allowed violent and addictive content to circulate on its platform (for example, “tutorial” videos for scarifying yourself at home).
“They also want the social network to better regulate videos, so that minors are no longer bombarded, when they are unwell, with content that could advocate suicide.“, specifies France info.
Indeed, in the platform’s charter, we can read that Tiktok is committed to “provide a safe and caring environment” for users. Which is obviously far from being the case in reality…
A French ultimatum
Already in 2023, the report of the commission of inquiry of the Senate on TikTok alerted about the “obvious risks“what did this social network represent for national security.
In a 181-page report, a large part of which is devoted the psychological effects of TikTok on young peopleelected officials asked the government “to suspend TikTok in France and to request its suspension within the EU from the European Commission for reasons of national security” if TikTok refuses to comply, by January 1, 2024, “to the main questions and measures requested” by this same commission of inquiry.
The measures imposed included:
- “an increase in moderation in France” ;
- “guarantees on the removal of fake news” ;
- “the establishment of effective age control or even more transparency on the capital and status of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok“.
However, the reaction – and potential decisions – of the Chinese giant are still unclear.
To date, in the case involving the seven teenagers, TikTok says it has no “received no notice of this legal proceeding”, according to information collected by France info.
“At TikTok, protecting our community, and especially the youngest, is a responsibility that we take very seriously”further assures the social network in a press release.
A thorny affair to follow…
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