Amnesty International Files Complaint Against TikTok Over Mental Health Risks to Youth

Amnesty International France has formally accused TikTok of amplifying exposure to harmful content linked to suicide and self-harm among young users. On October 21, 2025, Amnesty revealed findings that TikTok's algorithm creates a 'spiral' effect that rapidly steers teenagers interested in sad or depressive content toward increasingly distressing videos within an hour. Spokesperson Katia Roux announced a complaint filed with the French regulator Arcom under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), citing TikTok's failure to meet legal obligations in protecting minors since August 2023.

Amnesty conducted experiments using fake 13-year-old accounts, which were exposed to predominantly mental health-related and sometimes suicidal content within less than an hour. The NGO collaborated with the Algorithmic Transparency Institute to compare these manually managed profiles with automated ones, finding the former experienced more harmful content amplification.

TikTok responded by questioning the study's methodology and emphasizing its efforts to remove 90% of violating videos before viewing, aiming to provide a safe environment for teens. Despite this, Amnesty highlighted TikTok's insufficient measures to identify risks and prevent harmful content dissemination.

This complaint adds to the European Commission's ongoing investigation into TikTok since February 2024 over alleged failures to protect minors on its platform, reinforcing concerns over youth mental health amid digital content regulation debates.