The parents of Isaac Kenevan, Archie Battersbee, Noah Gibson, Julian “Jools” Sweeney and Maia Walsh are all suing TikTok in the US
By Good Morning Britain Correspondent, Ashna Hurynag
2pm can’t come soon enough.
Delaware’s Superior Court in frosty Wilmington is preparing to host a landmark hearing, which is bringing together UK families and one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, TikTok.
This case, brought by five British parents, alleges that TikTok and its content led to the wrongful deaths of their children.
The parents of Isaac Kenevan, Archie Battersbee, Noah Gibson, Julian “Jools” Sweeney and Maia Walsh are being represented pro bono by legal resource firm, Social Media Victims Law Centre.
A pro-bono resource dedicated to taking legal action and addressing social media harms set up by attorney Matthew Bergman.
“For me, this is the most important, most meaningful legal fight I’ve been in in 30 years of law practice,” he tells me.
“The way these social media companies have designed their platforms, it’s like throwing gasoline on a fire of adolescent angst and insecurities and using adolescent desires to fit in, adolescent desires to be accepted to in this case engage in dangerous challenges that tragically ended the lives of these children.”
Bergman has been fighting on behalf of numerous families in similar cases: he strongly believes it is his calling. Strikingly, he likens it to the civil rights movement and explains why.
“I always wished that I had been old enough to have been a civil rights lawyer in the South in the 1960s. My heroes emanate from that period of time. And I believe that by doing this work, some of the same moral clarity that existed in the civil rights movement exists here, when you’re talking about vulnerable kids such as these.”
This hearing marks a significant moment for these families who are seeking truth, accountability and systemic change.
What happens here could set an important precedent for how social media companies are held responsible for harm to children.
Lisa Kenevan is Isaac’s mother.
She wheeled her suitcase into the hotel lobby just as Ellen Roome, Jools’ mother, came out of the lift. There are big hugs and big smiles. This group of individuals have an inextricable bond.
“It’s bittersweet,” Lisa says when I ask her about being here at this pivotal moment of their campaign.
“I think it’s been a long time coming, and just having the acknowledgement from the Social Media Victims Law Centre to actually fight on our behalf as well, means a lot to us. It’s a sad thing that a law firm in the UK is not representing us.
“So I feel very honoured that they’ve taken our cases on board, and it means a lot to us. I was on the plane earlier. It was quite emotional thinking about how I’ve got here, why I’m here, and I feel like our children’s legacy is pushing this on, and it’s groundbreaking.”
A spokesperson for TikTok has told ITV News that it prohibits dangerous content and challenges.
They say it has blocked searches for videos and hashtags related to the particular challenge the children’s parents say is linked to their deaths and says the safety of people on the platform is a priority.
After months of channelling grief into a fight against social media, five families are about to step into the ring.
If the case is dismissed after today’s hearing, ITV News understands they will endeavour to appeal.
Lisa tells me: “I just feel really, really honoured for all of us to be able to be there and doing it for our children and for the future of other children.”
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