The social media app TikTok has been hit with a wrongful death lawsuit after two girls died after attempting the so-called "Blackout Challenge."
According to the Social Media Victims Law Center, the challenge encourages people to choke themselves with belts, purse strings or other similar items until they pass out.
One of the victims was eight-year-old Lalani Walton of Temple. The other was Arriani Jaileen Arroyo of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The center's founding attorney Matthew Berman says they've seen a lot of challenges gone wrong nationwide. "There's some defect in the algorithm of the TikTok product that is leading young children to this highly dangerous and deadly site." He notes there are other dangerous challenges, including ones in which "TikTok users are encouraged to fill their mouths with nutmeg, jump off a milk carton, hit themselves on the head, break the law and disrespect their teachers and engage in all sorts of terrible behaviors."
The civil claim is for money damages. "I've been a lawyer representing clients for 25 years and have never had clients less concerned about money than these parents. What they want and the reason they're willing to share their grief with the nation is simply they want to prevent other families from the same grief and loss they're sustaining."
A TikTok spokesperson told The Washington Post that the disturbing ‘challenge,’ which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend.
"We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found," the spokesperson said in an email, adding that the company has made it impossible to search for videos using the hashtag #BlackoutChallenge.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
Related
Related
