Lawsuit filed as 7 children allegedly died due to TikTok ‘Black-out challenge’: What it is and more – Times of India

TikTok is facing multiple lawsuits from parents who claim that their kids died of strangulation attempting the ‘Black-out challenge’ on the platform. The most recent lawsuit has been filed by the parents of 8-year-old Lalani Walton and 9-year-old Arriani Arroyo. Tawainna Anderson, the mother of the 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl Nylah Anderson, is also suing TikTok, alleging that the app “pushed exceedingly and unacceptably dangerous challenges.”
Here’s what the challenge is, what TikTok is saying and what the lawsuit claims.
How many kids allegedly died due to ‘Black-out challenge’
Reports claim 7 kids have so far died due to this TikTok challenge. A 10-year-old in Italy died in January 2021; a 12-year-old in Colorado in the US died in March 2021; a 14-year-old in Australia who died in June 2021; a 12-year-old in Oklahoma who died in July 2021 and another 10-year-old in Pennsylvania who reportedly died in December 2021, according to multiple reports.
What is the ‘Black-out challenge’ on TikTok
The ‘blackout challenge’ on TikTok encourages users to “choke themselves with belts, purse strings, or anything similar until passing out.” Another form of this challenge asks users to hold their breath until they pass out.
What does the lawsuit claim
Some lawsuits allege that kids were not searching for challenges when they saw the videos. Instead “TikTok put it right in front of them on the app’s main screen, the For You page”. The suit, as per a report in The Verge, accuses the company of having “specifically curated and determined that these Blackout Challenge videos – videos featuring users who purposefully strangulate themselves until losing consciousness – are appropriate and fitting for small children”. It brings claims for “strict liability based on TikTok’s failure to provide adequate warnings to minor users and their parents that TikTok is addictive and directs vulnerable users to highly dangerous and harmful challenges including but not limited to the Blackout Challenge. The addictive quality of TikTok’s product and its tendency to direct young users to highly dangerous challenges are unknown to minor users and their parents.”
Not the first dangerous challenge on TikTok, the list seems to be ‘long’
This is not the only dangerous challenge that allegedly spread on TikTok. There are several others. Earlier this year, a 12-year-old boy is said to have suffered up to 35% burn injuries on his body in TikTok ‘Fire Challenge’. The list of some similar challenges on TikTok include Benadryl Challenge, Silhoutte Challenge, Beer-basketball challenge, Cha Cha Slide Challenge, Throw it in the air challenge, Tooth filing challenge, Morning-after-pill challenge, NyQuil Chicken trend, Milk Crate challenge and Orbeez Shooting.

What is TikTok’s explanation
A TikTok spokesperson claimed 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. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family for their tragic loss,” the spokesperson added.