Blackout Challenge

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Internet Challenge, Viral Trend

• Legal Status

  Subject of lawsuits challenging Section 230 immunity for algorithmic content

• Core Activity

  Intentional deprivation of brain oxygen

• Linked Deaths

  At least twenty children

• Alternate Names

  Choking Challenge, Pass-out Challenge, Blackout Game

• Target Audience

  Children, adolescents, young adults

• Associated Risks

  Brain damage, death, loss of consciousness

• Primary Platform (2021)

  TikTok

Timeline

• The 'blackout challenge' or 'choking game' first became popular online. (Source: McAfee)

  2008

• Social media platforms increased the widespread availability of information about the choking game concept. (Source: Wikipedia (via Time magazine))

  2018

• Alleged internet challenges involving self-harm, such as the 'Momo' and 'Blue Whale' challenges, created widespread online coverage. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2019

• The Blackout Challenge gained widespread attention on TikTok, primarily among children. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, McAfee, EBSCO)

  2021

• The choking game, rebranded as the 'blackout challenge' or 'pass-out challenge' on TikTok, remained popular with adolescents and young adults. (Source: EBSCO)

  2020s (mid)

• A court ruled that Section 230 immunity does not protect TikTok's algorithms in a lawsuit (Anderson v. TikTok, Inc. and Byte Dance, Inc.) filed after a child died participating in the challenge. (Source: Related Documents, Segal McCambridge blog)

  Recent (Date not specified)

Blackout challenge

The blackout challenge is an internet challenge based around the choking game, which deprives the brain of oxygen. It gained widespread attention on TikTok in 2021, primarily among children. It has been compared to other online challenges and hoaxes that have exclusively targeted a young audience. It has been linked to the deaths of at least twenty children.

Web Search Results

• 'Blackout Challenge': Viral Trend Can Cause Brain Damage, Death

  The “blackout challenge,” or “choking challenge,” is an online challenge proliferated through social media apps such as TikTok that encourages viewers to asphyxiate themselves until they lose consciousness. The loss of consciousness is believed to be associated with a “high” or feeling of euphoria. Challenge videos may be particularly appealing to teens and adolescents. [...] Following the death of her son, a mom is warning others about the “blackout challenge” (also known as the “choking challenge”), a dangerous viral trend that’s being shared on social media platforms like TikTok. [...] Can't get enough? Connect with us for all things health. is responsible for at least one death this year. The challenge, which is being shared on various social media platforms, encourages viewers to asphyxiate themselves until they lose consciousness. Asphyxiation is incredibly dangerous and can lead to permanent brain damage and death in less than five minutes.

• Blackout challenge - Wikipedia

  Wikipedia # Blackout challenge The blackout challenge is an internet challenge based around the choking game, which deprives the brain of oxygen. It gained widespread attention on TikTok in 2021, primarily among children. It has been compared to other online challenges and hoaxes that have exclusively targeted a young audience. It has been linked to the deaths of at least twenty children. ## Contents ## Origin and spread [...] ## Impact and lawsuits The Washington Post reported that TikTok chose to block search results for the challenge and related terms, instead presenting a warning message. The challenge has resulted in the deaths of between fifteen and twenty children. Several lawsuits have been filed against TikTok for allegedly causing the deaths of children who have attempted it, though all have ended up in dismissals based on legal immunity. [...] Time "Time (magazine)") magazine reported in 2018 that social media platforms made information about the concept more widespread, leading more children to attempt it alone rather than with others. In 2019, alleged internet challenges that involved self-harm, such as the "Momo" and "Blue Whale" challenges, created widespread coverage online for allegedly encouraging children to attempt suicide. The Atlantic reported that both were ultimately hoaxes that used local news reporting and concerned

• Deadly Digital Dares: The Blackout Challenge on TikTok - McAfee

  The blackout challenge is a choking game that involves intentionally trying to choke oneself or another to obtain a brief euphoric state or “high.” Death or serious injury can result if strangulation is prolonged. Those doing the challenge do it privately or broadcast their attempt to friends or followers. The CDC also found that most deaths occurred when a child engaged in the choking game alone and that most parents were unaware of the game before their child’s death. ## What’s the appeal? [...] The latest viral challenge, the “blackout challenge,” first became popular online in 2008 and made its unfortunate comeback in 2021. Before this second round, the CDC  attributed nearly 80 deaths to the dangerous online game. In the past month, authorities are attributing the tragic, high-profile deaths of Archie Battersbee, 12, and Leon Brown, 14 to the challenge. ## What is it? [...] Sep 16, 2022 4 MIN READ Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Email Copy Link The social network TikTok is chockfull of interesting, fun, laugh-out-loud videos shared by creators worldwide. Kids, as well as parents, can easily spend hours glued to the platform. But as with most popular platforms, the fun can eventually turn dark, even deadly, when viral challenges make their rounds.

• Choking game | EBSCO Research Starters

  The choking game, also known by various names such as the "pass-out challenge" or "blackout game," is a dangerous activity primarily engaged in by children, teenagers, and young adults. Participants intentionally restrict oxygen flow to the brain, seeking a brief euphoric state or "high" that occurs when they faint or nearly lose consciousness. This activity can be played alone or with others, often using items like belts or scarves to apply pressure to the neck. [...] The choking game, also known by various names such as the "pass-out challenge" or "blackout game," is a dangerous activity primarily engaged in by children, teenagers, and young adults. Participants intentionally restrict oxygen flow to the brain, seeking a brief euphoric state or "high" that occurs when they faint or nearly lose consciousness. This activity can be played alone or with others, often using items like belts or scarves to apply pressure to the neck. [...] In the mid-2020s, despite awareness and education, the choking game remained popular with adolescents and young adults. On the social media site TikTok, the choking game was renamed "the blackout challenge" or "the pass-out challenge." These challenges gained popularity in 2021 as users posted videos of themselves and friends cutting off their oxygen supply to obtain levels of euphoria. The prevalence of these videos is especially concerning, as many serve as visual step-by-step directions for

• TikTok', The “Blackout Challenge”, and the New Limits on Section ...

  The facts behind Anderson are tragic. A ten-year-old girl died after attempting the “Blackout Challenge,” a dangerous trend that appeared on her “For You” page on TikTok. The challenge, which involved self-asphyxiation, encouraged participants to record and share their attempts online. TikTok’s algorithm specifically curated this content for her, displaying it on a page designed to recommend engaging videos. Her estate has now sued TikTok, arguing that the algorithm’s design and content [...] In a recent landmark decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that TikTok could be held liable in a wrongful death suit stemming from the “Blackout Challenge” — a disturbing trend promoted through the platform’s algorithm. This decision in Anderson v. TikTok, Inc. and Byte Dance, Inc. could redefine the boundaries of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which has long shielded internet platforms from liability related to third-party content. Now, the Third [...] The court held that TikTok is not merely hosting third-party content but actively recommending specific content to users, transforming it from a passive platform to one engaging in “expressive conduct.” TikTok’s algorithm, according to the court, isn’t simply displaying content but making targeted recommendations that can influence user behavior — including a ten-year-old child’s decision to try the “Blackout Challenge.” This shift marks a critical distinction: while Section 230 protects