"Our children lost their lives from dangerous challenges"/ Five British families file lawsuit against TikTok

2026-01-16 08:55:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Our children lost their lives from dangerous challenges"/ Five

Five families in Britain claim their children died while attempting the "darkness challenge," a dangerous challenge that has existed for decades. The parents have filed a lawsuit in the United States, blaming the TikTok platform for the children's deaths.

The families believe their children tried to imitate the specific "challenge", which is based on temporarily stopping breathing, which carries the risk of serious brain damage or death.

Liam Walsh's 13-year-old daughter, Maya, was found unconscious three years ago. A few months earlier, on December 9, 2021, 12-year-old Noah Gordon had died after being found by his brother in his bedroom. Despite resuscitation efforts by his mother, Louise Gordon, and his sister, the child did not survive.

Three other similar incidents followed. 14-year-old Jules was found unconscious by his mother, Ellen Room. Archie was on life support for four months before dying.

A fifth child, 13-year-old Isaac, was found unconscious by his mother, Lisa Kennevan, who also tried to revive him. When police seized his electronics, they found videos that appeared to have been recorded on TikTok but had not been posted, in which Isaac shows his neck and laughs.

The parents believe their children were exposed to the "challenge" in question through TikTok, although they say they have no proof. The company has said that data about the content their children viewed may have been deleted as part of its privacy policies.

TikTok has repeatedly claimed that the challenge has never been a trend on its platform and that it has been banned since 2020. At the same time, it emphasizes that it removes 99% of content that violates its rules before it is reported.

The first hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday. There, TikTok is expected to ask for the lawsuit to be dismissed, arguing that the case was filed in the wrong jurisdiction, as the incidents occurred in the United Kingdom.

In a statement to British media, TikTok expressed its condolences to the families, reiterating that it strictly prohibits any content that promotes or encourages dangerous behavior and that it has detection systems and special teams to remove it immediately.

The legal process is expected to determine whether and to what extent the platform is responsible for exposing minors to dangerous online challenges. /CNA