‘TRAGIC LOSS’

Mother Sues TikTok Over 10-Year-Old Daughter’s ‘Blackout Challenge’ Death

“Tragically, Nylah Anderson is just the latest in a growing list of children killed as a result of the TikTok Defendants’ app and algorithm,” her mother’s lawsuit claims.

After her 10-year-old daughter died during a “Blackout Challenge,” a mother is suing TikTok for allowing the viral “game” to proliferate on its platform. On December 7, 2021, Tawainna Anderson discovered her daughter Nylah unconscious in her closet after choking herself. She was rushed to a hospital where she later died. “Tragically, Nylah Anderson is just the latest in a growing list of children killed as a result of the TikTok Defendants’ app and algorithm,” Anderson’s lawsuit claims. VICE reports that the game, during which participants choke themselves until they pass out, was popular in the 1990s, but has become popular again on TikTok in recent years. The company claims it disabled users from using the #Blackout, and told NBC News: “We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found...Our deepest sympathies go out to the family for their tragic loss.” Anderson, however, blames TikTok’s algorithm for her daughter’s death and claims videos of the challenge were fed to Nylah through the “Just For You” feature to the app. “Nylah was my child but she could have been anyone’s son or daughter that is attracted to what they see on social media,” she said in a statement. “We can’t let what happened to Nylah happen again.”