TikTok Fined $10 Million in Venezuela Over Viral Challenge Deaths
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has imposed a $10 million fine on TikTok, accusing the platform of failing to control the spread of dangerous viral challenges that allegedly led to the deaths of three children. The ruling, announced by Magistrate Tania D’Amelio on Monday, calls for the payment to be made to the National Communications Commission (Conatel) within eight days. The funds will reportedly be allocated to a special compensation program for victims of such challenges.
In addition, TikTok has been directed to establish an office within Venezuela to represent itself locally. The court did not specify what consequences the company might face if it fails to comply with these directives.
Magistrate D’Amelio explained that three children had died, and others had suffered harm, but provided no further details about the incidents. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had previously claimed in November that at least two children died after participating in challenges involving the inhalation of toxic substances or consuming anxiety medication without sleeping.
The court’s ruling stated that TikTok had failed to implement “adequate measures to prevent the dissemination of content linked to these viral challenges,” deeming this a violation of Venezuelan law. The decision followed an appeal for protection by the Bolivarian Movement of Aristóbulo Istúriz Families, an educational organization that argued such challenges negatively impact minors psychologically.
This is not the first time TikTok has faced scrutiny or penalties in other countries over its handling of content. In the United States, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has been fined for privacy violations. In 2019, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) imposed a $5.7 million fine for illegally collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. Similarly, in 2021, TikTok was fined €750,000 by Dutch authorities for failing to provide adequate privacy protections for minors.
The European Union has also taken action against TikTok for failing to comply with data protection regulations. In 2023, the platform was fined €345 million by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), citing inadequate measures to protect children’s data and transparency shortcomings in how information was presented to users.
The Venezuelan government’s crackdown on TikTok highlights the growing global scrutiny of social media platforms’ responsibilities in regulating harmful content. As other nations have imposed similar penalties, this case underscores the broader challenge of balancing platform innovation with safeguarding public safety, particularly for vulnerable users like children.
TikTok has yet to comment on the Venezuelan court’s ruling.