The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary investigation targeting TikTok, suspected of having endangered the health and lives of its users. The procedure, entrusted to the Brigade for the fight against cybercrime (BL2C) of the Paris police headquarters, follows the report of MP Arthur Delaporte (PS), following the conclusions of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the psychological effects of TikTok.
“I welcome the opening of a preliminary investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office against the TikTok platform following my article 40.
The impunity of the algorithm is over.”
– Arthur Delaporte, deputy for Calvados, on X (ex-Twitter)
A report based on “serious malfunctions”
In a press release published Tuesday, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau specifies that the prosecution was seized on September 11, 2025 by Arthur Delaporte, following “malfunctions noted by the parliamentary commission of inquiry”. The latter denounced “insufficient moderation of TikTok, its ease of access by minors, (and) its elaborate algorithm likely to push vulnerable people towards suicide by locking them very quickly in a loop of dedicated content.”
The prosecution indicates that the section for the fight against cybercrime “joined this analysis that of various reports on this same platform”, citing:
- the Senate report (2023), which “underlines a risk in terms of freedom of expression, data collection, and offensive algorithms in the consultation of dangerous content”;
- the Amnesty International report (2023), which warns of “the dangers of the algorithm, considered addictive and putting young people at risk of self-aggressive acts”;
- and the Viginum report (February 2025), which highlights “a critical risk of manipulation of public opinion, particularly in an electoral context”.
Three main offenses in the sights of investigators
The investigations target several serious offenses, punishable by heavy penalties:
- propaganda in favor of suicide, punishable by 3 years in prison and a fine of €45,000;
- the provision of a platform for illicit transactions by organized gangs, punishable by 10 years and a €1 million fine;
- altering the functioning of an automated data system, also punishable by 10 years and a €300,000 fine.
Still according to the press release, the investigation concerns:
“compliance with the obligation of notification by a platform of suspicions of offenses committed through it, the operation of the algorithm in relation to the presentation made to its user, and the publication of content consisting in particular of the promotion of suicide.”
TikTok rejects accusations and defends its security policy
Contacted by AFP, TikTok “strongly refutes the accusations” and claims to offer “more than 50 features and predefined settings specially designed to ensure the safety and well-being of adolescents”. The company denounces a “misleading presentation” of the conclusions of the commission of inquiry and ensures that it collaborates with the authorities to demonstrate the conformity of its practices.
A turning point for the regulation of algorithms
The investigation opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office marks a first in France because it is the very design of the algorithm, and no longer just the content broadcast, which is at the heart of a legal procedure. This approach could open the way to a reclassification of large platforms as “algorithmic content publishers”, making them responsible for the psychological or social effects produced by their recommendation systems. The prosecution works “in close cooperation with the various State services involved in these subjects, in particular Arcom and Viginum, whose analyzes are also requested”, according to Laure Beccuau.
