Italian families file first collective lawsuit against Meta and TikTok over minors’ self-harm content after 12-year-old’s death

Several Italian families have filed the country’s first collective lawsuit against Meta and TikTok, alleging their algorithms pushed self-harm content to minors and contributed to tragedies. The case centres on social media platforms’ responsibility for teenagers’ mental health and is backed by Italian parents’ group MOIGE. Meta and TikTok deny the claims, saying they have safeguards designed to protect young users. The lawsuit comes as regulatory and legal pressure grows in Europe and the United States, including UK plans to bar under-16s from social media and a U.S. court ruling finding Meta and Google negligent over platform design.