Venezuelan court fines TikTok $10m after viral challenge ‘killed three children’

Venezuela’s supreme tribunal has fined TikTok $10 million in connection with viral challenges that authorities say left three children dead and injured dozens in recent months.

President Nicolas Maduro said the three children, aged 12, 13, and 14, died after they participated in challenges that included ingesting, inhaling, and spreading “dangerous mixes” of chemicals.

In a ruling on Monday, Tania D’Amelio, one of the tribunal judges, said TikTok had been negligent in failing to implement “necessary and adequate measures” to stop the spread of content encouraging the challenges.

D’Amelio said Venezuela would use the money to “create a TikTok victims fund, intended to compensate for the psychological, emotional, and physical damages to users, especially if these users are children and adolescents”.

The social media platform was also ordered to open an office in the South American country and given eight days to pay the fine or face “appropriate” measures.

The company told the court that it “understands the seriousness of the matter”.

Last month, Maduro threatened “severe measures” against TikTok if it did not remove content related to what he called “criminal challenges”.

Lawmakers are now considering laws regulating social networks.

Following his controversial re-election in July, Maduro has escalated his crackdown on dissent, targeting popular social media platforms.

Maduro recently denounced TikTok and WhatsApp, accusing them of facilitating the spread of violence and supporting opposition movements.

Earlier this year, the president urged his supporters to uninstall WhatsApp, owned by Meta, claiming it was being exploited by “fascists” to incite unrest.

The Venezuelan president had also accused Elon Musk, X owner, of planning an attack on his country.