Venezuela’s highest court has fined TikTok $10 million in connection with viral challenges that authorities say left three adolescents dead from intoxication by chemical substances.
According to Venezuelan authorities, three adolescents died and 200 were intoxicated in schools across the country after ingesting chemical substances as part of social media “challenges.”
Supreme Tribunal of Justice Judge Tania D’Amelio said that the app had been negligent in failing to implement “necessary and adequate measures” to stop the spread of content encouraging the challenges, noting that the company told the court it “understands the seriousness of the matter.”
D’Amelio said Venezuela will use the money to “create a TikTok victims fund, intended to compensate for the psychological, emotional and physical damages to users, especially if these users are children and adolescents.”
TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, was ordered to open an office in Venezuela and given eight days to pay the fine or face “appropriate” measures.
