The ‘blackout challenge’ has been criticized and discouraged by medical officials after young people started choking themselves on camera in an attempt to get a temporary high from restricting oxygen to the brain.
Licia Renzulli, the president of Italy’s parliamentary commission on child protection, issued a damning criticism of social media companies that allow such content to spread on their platforms, calling for stricter regulation to protect users, particularly those under the age of 18.
A spokesperson for TikTok refuted accusations that it was responsible for the incident, highlighting its safeguarding measures. In a statement, the company said, “We do not allow any content that encourages, promotes or glorifies behavior that could be dangerous.”
The investigation from law enforcement comes at a time when TikTok is already facing a lawsuit from Italy’s data protection agency. The court action that was launched in December accuses the tech company of providing a “lack of attention to the protection of minors,” given how easy it is for young children to set up an account on the site.
