Italy ordered the Chinese-owned TikTok not to use their app after the death of a 10-year-old girl who accidentally committed suicide in a “Blackout Challenge.”
Children under the age of 13 should not use TikTok. But the Italian state regulator wants the app to block unverified user accounts until Feb. 15, noting that it was easy for under-13s to bypass the app’s registration rules. , according to reports.
The unidentified girl from Palermo, Sicily, was pronounced dead in the brain last week after trying to take part in the so-called “Blackout Challenge”, which dares participants to suffocate until a few seconds pass. The boy tied a belt around his neck and accidentally suffocated, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death, which has impacted Italy, and are looking into whether anyone invited the girl to take part in the challenge.
“Privacy and security are top priorities for TikTok and we are constantly working to strengthen our policies, processes and technologies to protect our communities and younger users in particular,” a TikTok spokeswoman told Reuters in Italy.