Overview

• A 12-year-old boy in Castleford was discovered unresponsive after performing the “Blackout” social-media challenge and later pronounced dead in hospital.
• West Yorkshire police confirmed there are no signs of foul play and said investigations remain under way to determine the exact medical cause of his death.
• Since 2022, at least 20 children, including 15 aged twelve or younger, have died attempting the self-strangulation challenge.
• Multiple families in the United States have filed lawsuits claiming TikTok’s algorithm promoted the hazardous trend that led to their children’s deaths.
• TikTok maintains it has blocked related searches for the challenge since 2020, removes prohibited content under its guidelines and directs users to safety resources.