Venezuela’s Supreme Court has fined TikTok $10 million, accusing it of failing to control the spread of viral challenges that have allegedly led to the deaths of three children.
Magistrate Tania D’Amelio said Monday the company had eight days to pay the fine to the National Communications Commission (Conatel), and that the money would be used to create a special fund to “compensate the victims of the viral challenges.”
She also demanded that the video platform establish an office in the country to represent itself.
The court did not specify what the consequences would be if TikTok did not comply with the ruling.
D’Amelio said three young people had died and numerous others had been affected by these challenges, but did not offer details or refer to a specific case.
In November, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said at least two of the children had died after participating in challenges that involved inhaling toxic substances or taking anxiety medication without falling asleep.
The court ruling read by D’Amelio said TikTok had not implemented “the necessary and adequate measures to prevent the dissemination of publications whose content is allusive to the so-called viral challenges, violating the legal system in Venezuela.”
The decision comes after the education organization Bolivarian Movement of Aristóbulo Istúriz Families filed an appeal for protection which, according to D’Amelio, argued that viral challenges affect minors psychologically.
The court accepted the appeal for protection after Maduro in November demanded that TikTok remove content related to viral challenges.
The Venezuelan government has previously issued restrictions on social media platforms.
In August, Maduro announced that Conatel had suspended access to the social network X for 10 days, after its owner Elon Musk questioned the result of the presidential election on July 28.
However, many Venezuelans can still access X by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to hide their IP address.
