TikTok Faces $10 Million Fine Following Tragic Deaths of Children from “Hazardous” Chemical Challenges

TikTok is grappling with serious legal repercussions as it faces a $10 million fine following tragic incidents involving three young fatalities linked to hazardous challenges circulating on the platform. These challenges pertained to the ingestion and inhalation of dangerous chemical mixtures, raising significant safety concerns.

On December 30, Venezuela’s supreme court mandated TikTok to establish an operational presence within the country, along with the hefty financial penalty payable within ten days. According to a report from Bloomberg, the court’s decision was prompted by the unfortunate deaths of three children, aged 12, 13, and 14. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro highlighted these children participated in viral challenges that proved to be perilously unsafe.

The judges noted TikTok’s “lack of timely control” over these dangerous trends, which have not only led to fatalities but also resulted in injuries to numerous others. The court specified that the fine would be allocated to providing compensation for the victims’ families.

Legal Battles Over Tiktok’s Viral Challenges

The implications of TikTok’s challenges are far-reaching, having resulted in numerous legal actions over the years. The platform has come under fire, particularly for the infamous ‘blackout’ challenge, which encourages participants to see how long they can hold their breath before losing consciousness, leading to several tragic deaths.

Image source: Unsplash – Solen Feyissa

Furthermore, TikTok is facing multiple lawsuits concerning other damaging trends. Notably, a Pennsylvania mother filed suit following her ten-year-old daughter’s death in December 2021, purportedly as a result of participating in a viral challenge. In a separate case, another mother took legal action after her son died while attempting the ‘subway surfing’ trend, a challenge reported to have led to at least five deaths last year alone, according to New York Post.

In addition to these challenges, TikTok has faced scrutiny from European regulators, who fined the platform $368 million for failing to adequately protect the privacy of children, particularly those under 13.

With all these legal issues mounting, TikTok is also contending with potential nationwide bans in the United States. This could occur if the platform’s parent company, ByteDance, fails to divest its U.S. operations, especially given concerns regarding access to sensitive data of American citizens and ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

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