The parents of a 12-year-old girl who died by suicide are among several Italian families suing Meta and TikTok in the first collective legal action in Italy to directly challenge social media companies and their algorithms, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Rossella Roggero Ugues died in early 2024. Only afterwards did her parents discover she had been maintaining a secret Instagram profile named "Just a dead pers0n." They said she began searching for depressive content in September 2023, and algorithms kept pushing similar material back to her. "At some point, it seemed to take on a life of its own, growing until it overwhelmed the cheerful, sociable side of her — the brighter part," her mother Irene told Reuters.

The families are seeking tighter limits on minors' access to social media and greater awareness of the risks. Their case argues that platforms use reward mechanisms modelled on slot machines, triggering dopamine through likes and notifications to foster dependency.

Both companies denied the allegations. Meta said it has built-in safeguards, including Teen Accounts, and declined to comment directly on Rossella's case during litigation. TikTok said it removes more than 99% of content violating its rules and blocks potentially harmful searches.

The lawsuit arrives as scrutiny of digital platforms intensifies across Europe. Britain this week announced plans to ban social media for under-16s. EU regulators are stepping up enforcement of the Digital Services Act to better protect minors.

Irene Roggero Ugues said she joined the lawsuit so other parents could learn what she did not know in time. "We underestimated certain risks and didn't know they existed, but others can still act," she said, as per the report.