Inquest into teenage girl's death to examine TikTok algorithm and content
A British coroner announced an inquest into 13-year-old Maia Walsh's death will focus on TikTok after she posted "I don't think I'll live past 14" months before being found dead in October 2022. Her father sued TikTok and parent company ByteDance to access her account data, joining other bereaved families in a wrongful death case involving the so-called "blackout challenge."
What happened
Maia Walsh, 13, was found dead at her home in Hertford, Hertfordshire on 6 October 2022.
Months before her death, Maia posted on TikTok: "I don't think I'll live past 14". TikTok "was what took up the vast majority of Maia's time" according to her family's legal representative.
At a pre-inquest review in March 2025, the coroner indicated he would focus the inquest on TikTok and instruct Ofcom to request data from Maia's accounts, including her online posts, interactions, direct messages, followed hashtags, searches, and account changes.
Reported impact
Maia Walsh died at age 13. Her father, Liam Walsh, sued TikTok and ByteDance in the US to force the company to release his daughter's data to "get answers" about how she died.
Index analysis
The inquest will examine whether TikTok's algorithm and content moderation contributed to Maia's death. Her family's legal representative requested that followed hashtags, searches and account name changes be included in evidence to understand "how Maia's online world was interacting with her mental state".
Governance controls
Hertfordshire Police conducted forensic downloads of Maia's phone and iPad. Statements from her school regarding its social media policy will be gathered during the inquest.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.