Social media can be a great communication tool, but too much of it can also sometimes be very expensive.

This applies to the Korean group Kia-Hyundai, which will have to pay up to $200 million in compensation to owners of its vehicles in the United Statesfollowing a series of thefts and accidents caused by a TikTok challenge.

A challenge with dramatic consequences

A TikTok challenge known as the “Kia Challenge” appeared on the social network in 2022. The video showed thieves calling themselves “Kia Boyz”. how to start some vehicles with a simple USB cable. Apparently, within days the challenge went viral and the number of thefts quickly increased, resulting in “at least 14 accidents and 8 deaths”reports the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In February, authorities announced that Hyundai-Kia would deploy anti-theft software for free to millions of cars without a secure start system.

To put an end to the negligence class action against the Korean Group, the company reached an agreement to compensate about 9 million owners of Hyundai and Kia models, such as the Elantra, Santa Fe and Tucson, manufactured between 2011 and 2022..

The manufacturer reimburses consumers whose vehicles were stolen or damaged and whose expenses were not covered by their insurance, including deductibles and premium increases.

TikTok is in the field of view of American elected officials

This new case will no doubt give food for thought to many American elected officials of all political stripes who wish to ban the Chinese program from the country. The latter accuse the platform of serving as a Trojan horse for Beijing to spy on and manipulate users, accusations the company has always denied.

Recall that TikTok is also regularly criticized for viral challenges that encourage users to do dangerous or illegal actions, as in this case with some Kia and Hyundai models.