Families File Legal Complaint Against TikTok in France Over Alleged Harm to Minors

PARIS: Sixteen families in France have filed a collective complaint against TikTok, accusing the platform of “abuse of weakness” and alleging that its algorithm-driven content has contributed to severe psychological harm among minors.

The complaint, submitted on Monday to the Paris prosecutor’s office, was reported by broadcaster Franceinfo and is being led by lawyer Laure Boutron-Marmion. The families claim the platform exploits the vulnerability of young users and, in some cases, is linked to suicides and serious mental health conditions.

“We have a machine designed and developed to exploit this vulnerability. TikTok creates mental prisons for adolescents, prisons of distress,” Boutron-Marmion told Franceinfo.

She also compared the effects of the platform to “digital crack”, highlighting concerns over addiction-like behaviour driven by continuous scrolling and personalised content recommendations.

The complaint targets TikTok executives in both France and abroad, arguing that the company is fully aware of how its algorithm operates but has failed to take sufficient action.

“It is a system of highly personalised recommendations and continuous scrolling that generates strong addiction and exploits adolescent vulnerability,” she said. “They know very well the effects but do nothing.”

According to the lawyer, the families are seeking criminal proceedings for abuse of weakness, in addition to separate civil cases already underway. Some of the complainants have lost children to suicide, while others report cases involving anorexia, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

The case also calls for stricter regulation of social media platforms, including a possible ban for users under the age of 15   a proposal currently being debated in France.

TikTok has previously stated that it has introduced more than 50 safety features for teenagers and continues to improve tools aimed at ensuring safer, age-appropriate experiences for users.