Venezuelan Court Summons TikTok Officials Over Deadly Challenges
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced that the country’s highest court has summoned TikTok officials to address a series of viral challenges that have resulted in the deaths of three children this month, Bloomberg reports.
The children, aged 12, 13, and 14, reportedly died after participating in challenges involving the ingestion or inhalation of hazardous chemical mixtures.
Maduro made the announcement during a state television address on Monday, stating that dozens more minors have suffered injuries related to these dangerous online trends. Public Prosecutor Tarek William Saab corroborated this, revealing a significant number of child injuries linked to the challenges last week.
“If TikTok doesn’t end its dirty campaigns to mess with our minds, the Venezuelan law will have to be applied,” Maduro warned.
His comments come amidst a broader crackdown on social media platforms by the Maduro regime, following his controversial re-election in July.
Earlier this year, Maduro urged his supporters to delete WhatsApp, a Meta-owned messaging app, claiming it was being used by “fascists” to incite violence.
