Paris Prosecutors Investigate TikTok Over Youth Suicide Content

Authored by Guy Birchall via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Nov. 4 that it has opened an investigation into TikTok over allegations that the platform allows content that promotes suicide and that its algorithms could urge vulnerable young people to end their lives.

The statement said the information had been brought to their attention by a deputy of the National Assembly who had conducted an inquiry into the “psychological effects of TikTok.”

The office added that of particular concern was the insufficient moderation on the platform, the easy access children had to it, and its algorithm, which the inquiry found “likely to push vulnerable people toward suicide.”

Paris police’s cybercrime brigade, which will head up the probe, will look into potential crimes, including pushing products or methods that could be used for suicide and allowing illicit transactions linked to organized crime.

Should charges and convictions follow, the guilty parties could face penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines of 1 million euros ($1.15 million).

“We strongly refute the accusations and legal grounds referred to in the press release of the Paris prosecutor and will vigorously defend our record,” a spokesperson for TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company Bytedance, said.

“With more than 50 preset features and settings designed specifically to support the safety and well-being of teens, and 9 in 10 violative videos removed before they’re ever viewed, we invest heavily in safe and age-appropriate teen experiences.”

The announcement of the investigation follows a lawsuit against TikTok brought by a number of French families, and a probe by the parliament in Paris into the psychological impact of the social media site on children.

Last year, seven families sued TikTok France, accusing the platform of failing to moderate harmful content and exposing children to life-threatening material. Of those seven families, two experienced the death of a child.

One was 15-year-old Marie Le Tiec, whose mother, Stephanie Mistre, discovered videos promoting suicide methods, tutorials, and comments encouraging users to go beyond “mere suicide attempts” after looking through her daughter’s phone after she died.

Mistre said TikTok’s algorithm had repeatedly pushed such content to her daughter.

“They normalized depression and self-harm, turning it into a twisted sense of belonging,” Mistre said.

The parliamentary report, published Sept. 4, gave a scathing assessment of TikTok, calling it a “hellish algorithm” that pushes children “towards the worst” and “locks them in a bubble” away from adults.

It also said that TikTok and other social networks’ economic systems find “a financial interest in endangering minors through dangerous algorithmic design and a lack of moderation, all while denying it.”

The report recommended banning social media for children under 15 years of age and imposing a “digital curfew” for those between 15 and 18.

The investigation comes amid growing concerns in numerous countries about the impact of social media on children.

Australia has announced a ban on under-16s setting up social media accounts, which is due to come into force on Dec. 10.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her government would ban social media use for children under the age of 15, telling lawmakers that online culture has “unleashed a monster” epidemic of depression and anxiety in young people.

Denmark’s Scandinavian neighbor, Norway, has also set the wheels in motion to limit access to social media for those aged 15 and under, beginning a consultation process on a new law in January.

In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also mentioned during her State of the Union address in Strasbourg that she was monitoring developments in Australia concerning the ban.

“I am watching the implementation of their policy closely to see what next steps we can take here in Europe. I will commission a panel of experts to advise me by the end of this year on the best approach for Europe,” von der Leyen said.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.