Italy ordered the Chinese-owned TikTok to make sure that small children did not use its app after the death of a 10-year-old girl who accidentally killed herself in a “Blackout Challenge”.
Children under the age of 13 must not use TikTok. But the Italian state regulator wants the app to block unverified user accounts until February 15, noting that it was easy for children under 13 to bypass the app’s registration rules, according to reports.
The unidentified girl from Palermo, Sicily, was declared brain dead last week after attempting to participate in a so-called “Blackout Challenge”, which challenges participants to choke themselves off until they pass out for several seconds. The child tied a belt around his neck and accidentally choked, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death, which shocked Italy, and are looking to see if anyone invited the girl to participate in the challenge.
“Privacy and security are top priorities for TikTok and we are constantly working to strengthen our policies, processes and technologies to protect our communities and younger users in particular,” a spokeswoman for TikTok in Italy told Reuters.