Venezuela’s highest court imposed a $10 million fine on TikTok on Monday due to viral challenges that authorities claim resulted in the deaths of three teenagers from chemical substance intoxication.
Judge Tania D’Amelio of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice stated that the widely-used video-sharing platform had been negligent in not taking “necessary and adequate measures” to prevent the dissemination of content that promotes these dangerous challenges.
The court mandated TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, to establish a local office in Venezuela and required the company to pay the fine within eight days or face “appropriate” consequences.
The funds collected will be utilized to establish a TikTok victims fund aimed at compensating for the psychological, emotional, and physical harm suffered by users, particularly children and adolescents, according to D’Amelio.
TikTok acknowledged the gravity of the situation during the court proceedings, she noted.
Venezuelan officials reported that three teenagers lost their lives and around 200 others were affected in schools nationwide after consuming chemical substances as part of social media “challenges.”
The app’s global popularity has been significantly driven by its challenges, which encourage users to create viral videos featuring dances, jokes, or games.
However, TikTok has faced criticism for endangering users through the promotion of risky challenge videos.
The platform’s official guidelines explicitly prohibit content that encourages self-harm and suicide.
In November, President Nicolas Maduro warned of “severe measures” against TikTok if it failed to eliminate content related to what he termed “criminal challenges.”
The Venezuelan parliament is currently deliberating on laws to regulate social media, which Maduro claimed were being used to foster “hate,” “fascism,” and “division” following his controversial reelection in July.
He has accused Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of social media platform X, of orchestrating “attacks against Venezuela.”
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