TikTok, YouTube Beat Moms’ Suit Over ‘Choking Challenge’ Videos

Mothers who sued TikTok and YouTube over “choking challenge” videos that allegedly led to their children’s deaths failed to put forth viable claims for products liability, negligence, and misrepresentation, a federal judge said.

Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi dismissed the 8-count proposed class action in its entirety, saying that several of the mothers’ claims failed both on the merits and also because the defendants—which include TikTok Inc., Google LLC, and YouTube LLC—have immunity under the federal Communications Decency Act, which provides a liability shield for online platforms that host content created by other parties. DeMarchi’s order, issued ...