6 families sue TikTok over deaths of their children after apparent 'choking challenge'

TikTok is at the center of a legal battle tonight in Delaware. A number of grieving British families are suing the social media platform saying it played a crucial role in their children's deaths. Today, a judge in Newcastle County heard arguments on whether the lawsuit against the popular platform can move forward. Actually, reporter Chapadeli has the story. The families are suing TikTok, alleging that its algorithm has a defect and targets minors This was a motion to dismiss here in Delaware. The company is trying to get rid of the lawsuit brought on behalf of five British families and a family from Delaware. The case centers around six families whose children from ages 11 to 17 allegedly took part in a choking challenge after seeing videos on the popular app TikTok. All died in recent years. Now the families are suing, hoping for accountability. Michelle Ortiz's son, Jaden Bovell, died in 2020. Children make decisions not knowing finality the way that adults do and they bank on this. TikTok has a for you page that deluges young people, young kids with dangerous material. In this case, dangerous choking challenges. Not material that kids want to see, but material that kids can't look away from. Lawyers for TikTok argued that the case should be dismissed under the First Amendment and the current law called the Communications Decency Act, which bars internet companies from liability for content by third parties. Critics say the law is outdated. Attorneys for TikTok had no comment, but a spokesperson says this is a case that should not be litigated in the United States, but rather the United Kingdom. This is not the first time foreign nationals have sought justice in a U.S. court, particularly a court in the state where the company is incorporated. These parents say even more troubling, they still don't know what their children were exposed to on the application. Alleging TikTok won't release that information. We just want the truth and this company are doing everything they can to prevent us from getting to the truth. And TikTok released a statement that reads, our deepest sympathies remain with these families. We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behavior using robust detection systems and dedicated enforcement teams to proactively identify and remove this content. We remove 99% that's found to break these rules before it's reported to us. In Wilmington, Delaware, Chaya Pardelli, Channel 6 Action News.