New York Alleges TikTok Provided Placebo Safety Feature to Teens and Children
New York has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging that the social media platform provided teens and children with an ineffective safety feature known as “Algo Refresh” during experiments. The tool was supposed to allow users to reset their content recommendations but did not function for those in the experiment group, while others outside it experienced working versions of the feature. According to Reuters, thousands of young users were involved in these tests without realizing they had access only to a placebo version. The lawsuit is part of over two dozen cases brought by states accusing TikTok of designing its platform to encourage addictive use among children and misleading users about safety features. The company stated it regularly tests new products but did not immediately respond to the specific allegations in New York’s case. Another experiment reportedly withheld a similar feature from 15 million U.S. users, including one teenager who later died by suicide. The legal action highlights growing concerns over how social media platforms manage user safety and transparency around content algorithms.
