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French Families Launch Legal Action Against TikTok Over Minors Harm
(MENAFN) Sixteen families in France have filed a collective legal complaint against TikTok, accusing the platform of exploiting vulnerable minors through addictive recommendation systems and harmful content exposure.
The complaint was submitted to prosecutors in Paris and alleges “abuse of weakness,” a legal concept tied to taking advantage of vulnerable individuals. The families’ lawyer argued that the platform’s design and algorithmic structure intensify emotional distress among adolescents and may contribute to serious mental health problems.
Speaking publicly about the case, the lawyer described the platform as “a machine designed, developed to exploit this vulnerability,” adding that TikTok creates “mental prisons for adolescents, prisons of distress.” She also compared the platform’s influence to “digital crack.”
The legal action targets both French and international TikTok executives. According to the complaint, the company is fully aware of how its recommendation algorithms function and how continuous personalized content feeds can encourage compulsive use among younger users.
The families claim the platform’s endless scrolling system and highly tailored recommendations create addictive patterns that disproportionately affect teenagers. The lawyer stated, “They know very well” the effects of the platform but “do nothing.”
The group is reportedly seeking criminal proceedings in addition to existing civil actions, aiming to bring the case before a French criminal court rather than limiting it to a standard complaint process.
Some of the families involved say they lost children to suicide, while others report severe psychological conditions including depression, anorexia, and suicidal thoughts connected to social media use.
The complaint also renews calls for stricter regulation of social media platforms in France, including proposals currently being discussed that could restrict access for users under the age of 15.
TikTok has previously stated that it has introduced more than 50 safety tools and protections for younger users, while continuing to invest in what it describes as age-appropriate and safer online experiences for teenagers.
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