Senators demand answers from TikTok About ‘depraved’ experiment
The company withheld an algorithmic safeguard from roughly 15 million users, including minors, according to a confidential internal document.
Two US senators have sent a scathing letter to TikTok executives demanding answers about a potentially deadly experiment the company conducted, withholding a safety feature from millions of users, including a teenager who later took their own life. Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut co-sponsored the letter, calling TikTok's decision to run the test "disgusting."
The experiment, detailed in a confidential 2023 TikTok document, involved turning off an algorithmic safeguard for approximately 15 million US users, potentially putting them at risk of encountering harmful content. One of those affected was 16-year-old Chase Nasca from Bayport, New York, whose account was randomly selected for the control group.
Within a month of being placed in the experimental group, Chase took his own life after being exposed to thousands of videos about sadness, hopelessness, and suicide. The senators criticized TikTok's repeated assurances to Congress, parents, and the public that it prioritizes user safety over profit, stating that the experiment raises serious questions about the company's commitment to its users.
The senators demanded answers to 13 questions, including the names of all employees informed of the experiment, the rationale behind including minors in the test, when executives learned about the experiment, and an unredacted version of the detailed document reported by Bloomberg Businessweek. TikTok did not comment on the letter, but a spokesperson for the company expressed deep commitment to user safety and highlighted ongoing investments in Trust & Safety measures.
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