Venezuela's Supreme Court has issued a $10 million fine against TikTok for its alleged failure to implement measures to prevent viral video challenges that have reportedly resulted in the deaths of three Venezuelan children. The court deemed TikTok's actions as negligent and has given the company eight days to pay the fine. Additionally, the court has ordered TikTok to establish an office in Venezuela to oversee content and ensure compliance with local laws.
It remains unclear how Venezuela plans to enforce the payment of the fine against TikTok, a company with its parent based in China. In the past, Venezuela has blocked numerous websites for non-compliance with telecommunications regulations set by its authorities.
Notably, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro previously attributed the death of a 12-year-old girl to a TikTok challenge involving tranquilizer pills. The country's Education Minister also linked the death of a 14-year-old to a TikTok challenge that included sniffing substances. Furthermore, the attorney general of Venezuela has connected video challenges on TikTok to the death of a third child.
Under Maduro's administration, Venezuela has seen the censorship of various media outlets, with radio stations, television channels, and websites being taken off the air for their coverage. The government's actions have drawn criticism from groups monitoring media freedoms in the country.
In a separate incident, Venezuela banned the social media platform X following protests against Maduro's re-election. The ban, initially imposed for 10 days, was a response to accusations by Maduro against X's owner, Elon Musk, of orchestrating attacks against Venezuela. Despite being accessible through private internet providers, X remains blocked by Venezuela's state-owned internet provider, Movilnet.
