What Are Blackout Challenge Videos
Blackout challenge videos show participants intentionally restricting oxygen to the brain to achieve a brief euphoric state. The practice has existed for years and spread through user-generated content on social platforms. The blackout challenge is often called the choking game or fainting game in public health reports https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/10/23/the-dangers-of-the-blackout-challenge-and-how-platforms-are-fighting-it/.
Medical experts describe the blackout challenge as a form of self-strangulation that can cause seizures, brain damage, or death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked accidental deaths linked to choking games among children and adolescents. Content featuring blackout challenge videos typically includes breath-holding, chest compression, or ligature techniques https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/leading-causes-of-death.html.
Platform Policies and Content Moderation
Major platforms classify blackout challenge videos as dangerous content that violates community guidelines. YouTube, TikTok, and Meta remove videos that depict or encourage self-harm, including choking challenges, using automated detection and human review. TikTok states it bans content that promotes or glorifies dangerous acts and uses machine learning to flag related uploads https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines.
Enforcement and Detection Systems
Platforms use hash-matching, keyword filters, and user reports to identify blackout challenge content. Meta reported removing millions of pieces of content that violate its self-harm policies each quarter in recent transparency reports. These systems aim to limit the spread of blackout challenge videos while balancing free expression and safety https://transparency.fb.com/policies/community-standards/.
Legal and Financial Consequences
Families have filed wrongful death lawsuits against platforms over blackout challenge content. In 2019, a U.S. jury awarded a family $997 million in damages against TikTok, later reduced, after a 10-year-old girl died imitating a choking challenge video. Courts examine whether platforms had actual knowledge of specific dangerous content and failed to act https://www.sec.gov/edgar/search/.
Regulatory and Investor Impact
Regulators in the EU and U.S. have increased pressure on platforms to remove harmful content faster, including blackout challenge videos. The European Union's Digital Services Act requires large platforms to assess systemic risks and act on illegal content. Investors monitor content moderation failures because they can lead to fines, ad revenue loss, and reputational damage https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/10/23/the-dangers-of-the-blackout-challenge-and-how-platforms-are-fighting-it/.