Families sue TikTok over ‘blackout challenge’ child deaths

TikTok is being sued by the parents of four British children who died during a deadly craze that went viral.

TikTok is being sued by the parents of four British children who died during a “blackout challenge” craze that went viral.

The wrongful death lawsuit, filed in the US, claims Isaac Kenevan, Archie Battersbee, Julian “Jools” Sweeney and Maia Walsh, aged between 12 and 14, died in 2022 after passing out while attempting the so-called challenge.

Lawyers for the families allege social media giant TikTok, which is owned by China’s Bytedance, was a “dangerous and addictive product that markets itself as fun and safe for children, while lulling parents into a false sense of security”.

The families of four British teens are suing TikTok. Getty Images via AFP

The families claim that TikTok breached “their own rules” by showing or promoting dangerous content that could cause significant physical harm.

The complaint was filed in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware by the US-based Social Media Victims Law Centre on behalf of Archie’s mother Hollie Dance, Isaac’s mother Lisa Kenevan, Jools’ mother Ellen Roome and Maia’s father Liam Walsh.

In an interview with the BBC, Ms Dance said that the bereaved families were brushed off with “the same corporate statement” showing “no compassion at all - there’s no meaning behind that statement for them”.

Ms Roome has been trying to obtain data from TikTok, which she believes could provide clarity around her son’s death, and is now campaigning for legislation that would allow parents to access the social media accounts of their children if they die.

Matthew Bergman, a lawyer at the Social Media Victims Law Centre, which is representing the families, told The Telegraph: “TikTok’s algorithm purposely targeted these children with dangerous content to increase their engagement time on the platform and drive revenue.”

TikTok has banned blackout challenge videos since 2020 and has also barred other dangerous pranks from its app.

Originally published as Families sue TikTok over ‘blackout challenge’ child deaths