The 12-year-old’s parents have now asked for permission to move the child from the Royal London Hospital to a hospice, as she has been on life support since April. His mother Hollie Dance believes Battersbee drowned while taking part in the ‘blackout challenge’. The life-threatening challenge, popularized on TikTok, has reportedly led to the deaths of several children. TikTok has been sued by the families of two young children who allegedly died while participating in a trend called the “blackout challenge.” The parents of Lalani Erika Renee Walton, eight, and Arriani Jaileen Arroyo, nine, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, July 5, claiming the social media platform’s algorithm is “dangerous.” They claimed that TikTok’s algorithm “deliberately and repeatedly” pushed videos of the “obfuscation challenge” into children’s feeds, which led to young girls participating in it. Lalani, of Temple, Texas, died on July 15, 2021. Police determined her death was “a direct result of the attempted TikTok blackout,” the complaint said. Arriani, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, died on February 26, 2021, when she was found unresponsive by her five-year-old brother. Although Arriani was rushed to a local hospital, she was taken off life support. TikTok was also sued in May by the family of 10-year-old Nylah Anderson, who died last December after allegedly attempting the same challenge. Her mother, Tawainna Anderson, accused TikTok of negligence and said the challenge was “pushing forward” her daughter through her feed.
What is an “obfuscation challenge”?
The “blackout challenge” is a dare that encourages those attempting it to hold their breath until they pass out from lack of oxygen. It is also sometimes referred to as the ‘choking’ or ‘passing out’. The dare is not new and has been around since 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A study conducted by the regulator then found that at least 82 young people had died as a result of the ‘game’.
Why is it so dangerous?
Because the challenge involves choking oneself, it can starve the brain of oxygen and lead to asphyxiation. The CDC warned: “Death or serious injury may result if strangulation is prolonged.”
What did TikTok say?
Following Nylah’s death, a TikTok spokesperson told People: “This disturbing ‘challenge,’ which people seem to be learning about from sources other than TikTok, has long predated our platform and was never a trend. of TikTok. “We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and will immediately remove relevant content if found. “Our deepest condolences to the family on their tragic loss.” The platform has yet to respond to the lawsuits.
