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Calls to ban kids from ‘dangerous’ TikTok after Archie Battersbee tragedy
Several deaths and injuries have been linked to the so-called ‘challenge’ Archie allegedly took part in
There have been numerous calls to ban children from the ‘dangerous’ social media platform TikTok amid the tragic Archie Battersbee case.
The twelve-year-old was found unconscious in his home in Essex back in April after taking part in what his mother, Hollie Dance, believes to be the notorious ‘blackout challenge’ on TikTok.
Archie has never regained consciousness, and doctors at the Royal London Hospital say it is ‘highly likely’ the child is brain stem dead and is only alive through artificial means.
His parents have been embroiled in a highly-publicised legal battle to keep Archie’s life support switched on to ‘give him time to recover’, though that could come to an end today after the Supreme Court rejected their latest appeal.
But as the legal battle nears its end and Archie’s parents wait on a High Court decision to move their son to a hospice, the discussion surrounding the tragedy has turned towards TikTok and its responsibility for the safety and welfare of its underage users.
The app, which marked a milestone of 1 billion users in 2021, has been accused of allowing videos showing the notoriously dangerous ‘blackout’ challenge to appear on children’s feeds.
The so-called ‘challenge’ is what Archie’s mum believes her son was doing before she found him unconscious with a ligature around his neck.
The topic of TikTok and its negligence towards children is rife on social media, with one person saying: “The #ArchieBattersbee case is a tragic example of why children should not have TikTok.
“Archie Battersbee was doing the ‘blackout challenge’ which encourages users to choke themselves until they lose consciousness. Other children have died from this trend.”
Another commented: “So sorry for the family of Archie Battersbee. Stupid Blackout Challenge on #socialmedia, led to this. What has #TikTok done to prevent trends like this? Social Media is dangerous!”
Last year, two girls aged eight and nine – both of whom fail to meet the app’s minimum age limit of thirteen – died from strangulation while allegedly attempting the challenge.
The girls’ families brought forward a lawsuit against the platform last month, claiming its ‘dangerous’ algorithms were to blame for their children’s deaths.
Solen Feyissa / Unsplash
According to the MailOnline, the app has also has been linked to the deaths of at least five other children aged ten to fourteen in a number of countries, including Italy, Australia and the U.S.
However, TikTok has denied ever having this trend on its platform, saying it ‘removes any contact that promotes dangerous behaviour that could cause harm’.
A spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety and wellbeing of our community, especially our younger community members. Our community guidelines make clear that we do not tolerate content that promotes dangerous acts that may lead to harm.
“We have taken a series of proactive steps to protect our users and to educate them on the potential dangers of online challenges, including an in-app guide, developed with leading youth safety experts.”