Overview
- Paris prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation on November 4 following a referral from MP Arthur Delaporte, who led a parliamentary inquiry into TikTok’s impact on minors.
- The case is assigned to the BL2C cybercrime unit to examine potential offenses including promotion of suicide, failure to notify suspected crimes, and manipulation of algorithmic systems.
- Possible charges carry penalties ranging from three years in prison for suicide propaganda to up to ten years for organized offenses tied to platform operations.
- Amnesty International’s recent investigation and media tests reported that adolescent accounts were quickly funneled to depressive and self-harm videos, sometimes within about 20 minutes, with little visible intervention.
- TikTok has rejected the parliamentary commission’s portrayal as misleading, while regulators including Arcom and Viginum are cooperating with prosecutors as families and advocacy groups pursue complaints.