Three years ago, Stephanie Mistre’s world was forever changed when she discovered her 15-year-old daughter, Marie, lifeless in her bedroom after taking her own life. That day in September 2021, she says, marked the start of a battle against TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned video app that she holds responsible for her daughter’s tragic death.
“I went from light to darkness in a fraction of a second,” Mistre said, recounting the day her family’s life was upended. In the aftermath, Mistre delved into Marie’s phone, uncovering disturbing content that the app had repeatedly shown her daughter. The videos promoted suicide methods, offered tutorials, and contained comments encouraging users to go beyond mere attempts. According to Mistre, TikTok’s algorithm relentlessly pushed such harmful material to her daughter.
“It was brainwashing,” Mistre said. “They normalized depression and self-harm, turning it into a twisted sense of belonging.”
Mistre, who lives in Cassis near Marseille, is now suing TikTok France along with six other families, accusing the platform of failing to regulate harmful content and endangering children’s lives. Among the seven families involved in the lawsuit, two lost their children to suicide.
Marie, who had struggled with bullying both at school and online, left behind videos before her death explaining her decision. She cited various personal struggles and referenced lyrics from a song by Suicideboys, a Louisiana-based emo rap group popular on TikTok.
In addition to her lawsuit against TikTok, Mistre and her husband have filed complaints against five of Marie’s classmates and her former high school for their role in her daughter’s bullying.
For Mistre, TikTok played the most significant role in her daughter’s downward spiral. She likened giving the app to a vulnerable teenager to handing them “a ticking bomb.” She now hopes her fight will force the platform to take greater responsibility in protecting its young users from harmful and dangerous content.
