Seven French families are suing the social network TikTok, accusing it of exposing their children to harmful content that led two of them to commit suicide at the age of 15.

The lawsuit alleges that TikTok's algorithm exposed the seven teenagers to videos promoting suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, attorney Laura Boutron-Marmion said. It says this is the first such class action against a Chinese social network in Europe.

"The parents want TikTok's legal responsibility to be recognized in court. This is a commercial company that offers a product to users, who, moreover, are minors. That's why she must answer for the shortcomings of her product," Boutron-Marmion said.

TikTok rejects accusations that it harms children's mental health and says it has invested in measures to protect young users of the app.