Parents say their children died taking part in viral trend – now they’re set to face TikTok in court

British parents who lost their children under tragic circumstances have begun legal action against TikTok in the United States, seeking answers about what their children may have been exposed to online before their deaths.

The parents are suing the social media company for wrongful death, a case that could allow them to access data showing what their children were watching, if it can still be recovered. Their first court hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Liam Walsh’s daughter, Maia, died three years ago. She was 13 when she was found unresponsive. Months earlier, 11-year-old Noah Gibson was found unresponsive in his bedroom by his brother. Despite efforts by his family to help him, Noah could not be saved.

“When I checked Noah’s phone, I was looking for messages from school friends. I was looking for bullying,” his mother, Louise Gibson, said. “I never thought to check social media to see what he’d been watching.”

Within a short period, three other families experienced similar losses. Jools, 14, had spent the day at home with friends and was found unresponsive shortly after they left. Archie, 12, had been making plans to go to the cinema with his mother before he was found unresponsive. He later died after months on life support. Isaac, 13, described by his mother as a cheerful joker, was also found unresponsive at home.

Police later discovered videos on Isaac’s device that appeared to have been recorded through TikTok but not posted. In the videos, he seemed to be mimicking actions linked to a dangerous online trend.

All five families believe their children may have died while attempting the so-called “blackout challenge,” a highly dangerous stunt that has existed for decades and is banned across major social media platforms, including TikTok.

While TikTok maintains that the challenge never trended on its platform and says such content has been banned since 2020, the parents believe their children encountered it there. TikTok has also said that data showing what the children viewed may have been deleted in line with privacy policies.

The parents hope the US legal process will force greater disclosure. For many of them, the lack of answers has made grieving impossible.

“You’re not allowed to grieve properly when you don’t know what happened,” said Archie’s mother, Hollie Dance. “Without answers, there’s no closure.”

For parents like Ellen Roome and Liam Walsh, who each lost their only child, the campaign has become all-consuming.

“What happens when this ends?” Ellen asked. “I’m no longer a parent. I don’t have a child. When this fight is over, then what?”

Liam says he would rather be allowed to grieve in peace, but feels he has no choice but to continue.

“My daughter deserves better than to be brushed aside without a proper investigation into why she died,” he said. “Her family deserves that too.”

TikTok said in a statement: “Our deepest sympathies remain with these families. We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behaviour. Using robust detection systems and dedicated enforcement teams, we remove 99% of content that violates our rules before it is reported.”

The company’s first move in court will be an attempt to have the case dismissed, arguing that the lawsuit has been filed in the wrong jurisdiction because the deaths occurred in the UK.