Tiktok Sued In France For 'Brainwashing Teens Into Suicide' Bytedance Refutes Allegations

(MENAFN- Live Mint) An unfortunate incident that took place three years ago still remains a pressing concern, shining a harsh light on the darker side of social media. Stephanie Mistre, a resident of Cassis in southern France, found her 15-year-old daughter, Marie, lifeless in her bedroom in September 2021. Marie had taken her own life, leaving behind a devastated family and a trail of questions about the role of TikTok's algorithm in her death.

Delving into her daughter's phone after the tragedy, Mistre was horrified to find an array of videos promoting suicide methods, tutorials, and comments that encouraged users to go beyond“mere suicide attempts.” According to Mistre, TikTok's algorithm had repeatedly pushed this harmful content to her daughter, normalising self-harm and creating a dangerous sense of belonging around depression.

Legal action against TikTok

“It was brainwashing,” said Mistre.“They normalised despair and self-harm, turning it into a twisted community for vulnerable children.” Now, she and six other families have taken legal action against TikTok France, accusing the platform of failing to adequately moderate harmful content and exposing young users to life-threatening material. Out of the seven families, two have lost children to suicide.

TikTok's response

TikTok, a popular app owned by Chinese company ByteDance has denied responsibility, stating that its guidelines prohibit content promoting suicide or self-harm. The company claims to employ 40,000 trust and safety professionals globally, including hundreds of French-speaking moderators, and refers users searching for suicide-related content to mental health services. Despite these assurances, critics argue that the platform's moderation efforts are insufficient.

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