TikTok Faces Lawsuit Over Deaths of Four British Teenagers Linked to Viral Challenge

The parents of four British teenagers who died in 2022 after allegedly participating in a viral social media challenge have filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance.

The wrongful death lawsuit, brought by the US-based Social Media Victims Law Center, claims the video-sharing platform’s algorithm encouraged their children to engage in the dangerous “blackout challenge.”

The complaint, filed on Thursday in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, names the parents of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee, 13-year-old Isaac Kenevan, 14-year-old Julian “Jools” Sweeney, and 16-year-old Maia Walsh as plaintiffs.

They argue that their children’s deaths were a direct consequence of TikTok’s design, which allegedly fosters “addiction-by-design” and pushes harmful content to young users.

The families claim ByteDance’s programming decisions resulted in a flood of dangerous content that created “harmful dependencies” in children.

The lawsuit states, “These were not harms the children searched for or wanted to see when their use of TikTok began.”

TikTok has yet to respond to the allegations.

A Growing Legal and Ethical Debate

This legal action comes amid increasing scrutiny over TikTok’s role in exposing minors to potentially dangerous trends.

The “blackout challenge,” also known as the “choking challenge,” involves intentionally restricting oxygen to induce a temporary high. The challenge has been linked to multiple deaths worldwide.

A coroner ruled in January 2024 that Archie Battersbee, one of the children named in the lawsuit, died after a “prank or experiment” at his home in Southend-on-Sea in April 2022.

His mother, Hollie Dance, has since become a vocal advocate for raising awareness about the risks associated with social media trends.

Similarly, Isaac Kenevan’s mother, Lisa, has been actively campaigning to educate parents about the potential dangers lurking in viral internet challenges.

Julian “Jools” Sweeney’s mother, Ellen Roome, has taken her advocacy further, pushing for legislative change.

She is campaigning for “Jools’ Law,” which would grant parents access to their deceased children’s social media accounts to help determine the causes of such tragedies.

“It’s my one goal to try and make something positive out of the loss of Jools, not just for me but for the families who have already lost children and those going forward,” Roome told the BBC in January.

TikTok’s Uncertain Future in the US

The lawsuit coincides with renewed debates over TikTok’s future in the United States. Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2024, extending the deadline for a potential ban on TikTok unless it is sold to a US-based company.

Lawmakers in the US and Europe have increasingly raised concerns over the platform’s algorithm and its potential impact on children’s mental health and safety.

The case against TikTok could intensify calls for stronger regulations on social media platforms and their responsibility for user safety, particularly for minors.

For the grieving families, however, the lawsuit is about more than legal accountability—it is a fight to prevent other children from suffering similar fates.