Woman sues TikTok after her son died trying viral subway surfing stunt

A woman is taking legal action against TikTok and Instagram after her son died attempting a viral “subway surfing” challenge popularized on the social media apps.

TikTok is once again finding itself in hot water after facing multiple lawsuits from parents whose children have either been injured or outright killed attempting various challenges on the app.

For example, 5,000 parents joined together to sue TikTok in January, claiming the platform was “poisoning the youth.” Parents also banded together to sue the app in 2022 after several kids died trying the “blackout challenge” — where users hold their breath until they pass out.

Now, another child has died attempting a TikTok challenge, and their mother is seeking retribution.

Woman sues TikTok & Instagram after son dies trying viral challenge

Norma Nazario, mom to 15-year-old Zackery, is taking legal action against TikTok, Instagram, and the MTA after her son died when attempting a “subway surfing” challenge she says he saw online.

The teen died after hitting his head on a low-hanging beam and falling between the cars on a J-train in 2023 while “surfing” on top of the subway.

On top of seeking “unspecified damages” from the companies, the mother’s lawsuit also urges Instagram and TikTok to change their algorithms, which she claims are responsible for the death of her son.

“They could give me a billion dollars, and I’m not going to stop,” Norma Nazario said in a statement to The New York Post. “I’m not going to stop until the MTA and these social media companies start taking responsibility and stop killing our children.”

Unsplash: Solen Feyissa

Nazario says Instagram and TikTok “targeted, goaded and encouraged” her son into trying the dangerous subway surfing challenge after he saw videos of the stunt on their platforms.

Zackery wasn’t the only teen to die as a result of the viral “subway surfing” challenge. In fact, five people were reported dead as a result of subway surfing in 2023 alone.

This latest lawsuit follows the grilling of TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, before the US Congress in January.