TikTok withheld a safety feature from 15 million users, report says

A confidential internal document obtained by Bloomberg revealed that TikTok withheld a safety feature from 15 million U.S. users in early 2022. This omission left approximately 10 percent of the platform's user base, including 16-year-old Chase Nasca from Long Island, without the algorithmic safety update. Nasca tragically took his own life in February 2022, after becoming trapped in a filter bubble filled with videos about suicide, self-harm, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness.

Despite acknowledging that its algorithm could show users repetitive material concerning extreme dieting, sadness, and breakups in 2021, TikTok implemented an experiment to test whether breaking up filter bubbles would affect user engagement. By keeping 10 percent of users on the older version, TikTok aimed to compare the impact of the updated recommendation system on user safety.

However, Nasca's account remained in the control group, and TikTok's subsequent review confirmed that its safety strategies did not take effect on his feed. TikTok has since refined its testing practices, but the extent of these changes remains undisclosed. During a congressional hearing in May 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Chew stated that user safety, particularly for teenagers, is a core priority for the platform.

However, the company's written responses to Congress did not mention the specific incident involving Chase Nasca or the internal review identifying this issue. The revelation of this report highlights the growing legal challenges TikTok faces regarding its design choices and potential responsibility for the well-being of young users.