A woman is taking legal action against TikTok and Instagram after her son died attempting a viral “subway surfing” challenge popularized on the social media apps.
TikTokis once again finding itself in hot water after facing multiple lawsuits from parents whose children have either been injured or outright killed attempting various challenges on the app.
Now, another child has died attempting a TikTok challenge, and their mother is seeking retribution.
Woman sues TikTok & Instagram after son dies trying viral challenge
Norma Nazario, mom to 15-year-old Zackery, is taking legal action against TikTok, Instagram, and the MTA after her son died when attempting a “subway surfing” challenge she says he saw online.
On top of seeking “unspecified damages” from the companies, the mother’s lawsuit also urges Instagram and TikTok to change their algorithms, which she claims are responsible for the death of her son.
“They could give me a billion dollars, and I’m not going to stop,” Norma Nazario said in astatement to The New York Post.“I’m not going to stop until the MTA and these social media companies start taking responsibility and stop killing our children.”
Nazario says Instagram and TikTok “targeted, goaded and encouraged” her son into trying the dangerous subway surfing challenge after he saw videos of the stunt on their platforms.
This latest lawsuit follows the grilling of TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew,before the US Congress in January.
Virginia Glaze is Dexerto’s Entertainment Editor in the US. She expertly covers trending stories across Twitch, Kick, YouTube, and TikTok – as well as fighting games and influencer boxing. Virginia also has bylines at Red Bull, GINX, and Bandai Namco. Contact her here: virginia.glaze@dexerto.com
