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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Technology
Kari Paul

Families sue TikTok after girls died while trying ‘blackout challenge’

woman holds phone with tiktok logo on it
The parents of Lalani Erika Renee Walton and Arriani Jaileen Arroyo say TikTok’s ‘dangerous algorithm intentionally and repeatedly’ pushed videos to the children. Photograph: picsmart/Alamy

The families of two young girls who allegedly died as a result of a viral TikTok challenge have sued the social media platform, claiming its “dangerous” algorithms are to blame for their children’s deaths.

Parents of two girls who died in a 2021 “blackout challenge” on TikTok, which encouraged users to choke themselves until they passed out, filed a suit on Tuesday in the Los Angeles county superior court.

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