Venezuela's Supreme Court has imposed a $10 million fine on TikTok, accusing the platform of failing to implement safeguards against viral video challenges that allegedly caused the deaths of three children in recent months.
Judge Tania D’Amelio ruled that TikTok acted negligently and mandated the company to pay the fine within eight days. Additionally, the court ordered TikTok to establish an office in Venezuela to monitor and regulate content in compliance with local laws.
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However, the judge did not clarify how Venezuela intends to enforce the fine against TikTok, whose parent company is based in China. In the past, Venezuela has blocked numerous websites for failing to meet regulations set by the country's telecommunications authority.
TikTok has yet to respond to inquiries from The Associated Press regarding the ruling.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro previously blamed TikTok for the death of a 12-year-old girl in November. Reports suggest she died after participating in a TikTok challenge involving the consumption of tranquilizer pills and attempting to stay awake.
Education Minister Hector Rodriguez also cited another case where a 14-year-old reportedly died after engaging in a TikTok challenge that involved inhaling substances. On November 21, the attorney general linked the death of a third child to similar challenges on the platform.
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Under Maduro's administration, numerous radio and TV stations have been shut down for their reporting. According to VE Sin Filtro, a group monitoring media freedom, over 60 websites linked to human rights organizations and news outlets were blocked this year.
In August, Venezuela briefly banned the social media platform X amid protests against Maduro's re-election. The government accused X's owner, Elon Musk, of enabling attacks against Venezuela, while Musk accused Maduro of election fraud. Although the ban on X was lifted after 10 days, access remains restricted through the state-owned internet provider Movilnet, though private providers now allow access.