Promising Signs of Life Detected on Distant Planet K2-18b

The parents of four UK teenagers are suing TikTok, claiming their children died after participating in dangerous viral trends on the platform. The lawsuit was filed by the Social Media Victims Law Center on behalf of the parents of Isaac Kenevan, Archie Battersbee, Julian "Jools" Sweeney, and Maia Walsh, all of whom reportedly engaged in the "blackout challenge" before their deaths in 2022.
According to the complaint lodged in Delaware's Superior Court, the deaths were a "foreseeable result" of ByteDance's design choices that allegedly fostered addictive behaviors among children. The parents contend that TikTok's content algorithms led their children to harmful challenges, despite the company's blocks on certain content related to the challenge since 2020.
Ellen Roome, the mother of Jools, expressed her frustration that TikTok has not allowed her access to her son's social media account, calling the situation "morally wrong." Campaigners have warned about the implications of unregulated social media content, with Leanda Barrington-Leach from the 5Rights Foundation highlighting the grave consequences of prioritizing profit over safety.