An Italian mother, Irene Roggero Ugues, is taking legal action against Meta and TikTok after the death of her 12-year-old daughter, Rossella, who died by suicide in 2024.
After Rossella’s death, her parents looked through her phone and discovered she had been using social media far more than they realized, including a hidden Instagram account with a sad-sounding name. Her parents say that starting in September 2023, Rossella began searching for content linked to sadness and hopelessness, and the platform’s recommendation system kept showing her more of the same kind of material. Just five months later, she died.
Rossella’s family is one of several in Italy joining a lawsuit against Instagram and Facebook owner Meta, along with TikTok. It is the first major group lawsuit in Italy to directly challenge social media companies over how their recommendation systems affect children. The families are asking for stronger limits on what young users can access, along with clearer warnings about possible risks.
Meta and TikTok have denied the claims. Both companies say they already have safety tools in place, including special teen accounts, removal of harmful posts, and features that help parents manage their children’s online activity.
The case comes as more countries look closely at how social media affects young people. Britain recently announced plans to ban social media for users under 16, and regulators in the European Union are pushing platforms to do more to protect minors online.
