Paris, November 5, 2025 — French authorities have opened a wide-ranging investigation into TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, amid allegations that its algorithms and moderation systems endanger young users’ mental health by promoting suicide-related content.
The Paris prosecutor’s office announced the inquiry on November 4, citing growing public concern over social media’s psychological toll on minors. The investigation will examine whether TikTok violated French laws by failing to protect children from harmful content and neglecting to report potential offenses.
The probe follows a 2024 lawsuit filed by seven French families against TikTok France. Among them is the family of 15-year-old Marie Le Tiec, whose mother, Stéphanie Mistre, discovered suicide-promoting videos repeatedly recommended to her daughter. “They normalized depression and self-harm, turning it into a twisted sense of belonging,” Mistre told the Associated Press.
Led by the Paris police cybercrime brigade, the investigation focuses on potential crimes including the “promotion of suicide methods” and illegal transactions linked to organized crime. Convictions could result in fines up to €1 million and prison sentences of up to ten years, according to AFP.
The move was prompted by a parliamentary committee, chaired by Socialist lawmaker Arthur Delaporte, which raised alarms over TikTok’s algorithmic influence. Delaporte’s committee urged stricter digital safeguards, including banning social media for children under 15 and imposing curfews for teens aged 15 to 18.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the investigation will assess whether TikTok fulfilled its duty to report violations and prevent exposure to “suicide-promoting content.” The probe builds on earlier findings from a 2023 French Senate report and a 2023 Amnesty International study, both warning of TikTok’s addictive and potentially harmful recommendation systems.
TikTok, in a statement to Reuters and AFP, strongly denied the allegations, asserting that it “vigorously defends” its record and prioritizes youth safety through “more than 50 protective features.” The company claimed that “9 in 10 violative videos are removed before viewing” and accused French lawmakers of making it a “scapegoat for broader social issues.”
Still, lawmakers and child advocates argue that TikTok’s design inherently risks trapping vulnerable users in harmful content loops. The French case forms part of a growing global push to regulate digital platforms, following similar lawsuits in the United States.
For grieving parents like Mistre, the hope is that this investigation will bring systemic change. “If they had acted sooner,” she said, “maybe Marie—and others like her—would still be here.”
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members