New York Accuses TikTok of Giving Users “Placebo” Safety Features
An updated New York lawsuit alleges that, in an experiment, thousands of TikTok users, including children and teens, received non-functional versions of safety features. TikTok says it regularly tests new products and features.
New York alleges that thousands of TikTok users, including kids and teens, were unknowingly given “ghost” versions of safety features instead of ones that actually worked. Reuters reports that the claim is part of an updated, sealed version of the state's 2024 lawsuit against TikTok, which a judge later ordered unsealed.
The algorithm reset experiment
According to the new allegations, TikTok's “experiment” effectively blocked some users from using features such as an option to reset the algorithm. That tool can help people avoid harmful content appearing in their feeds. Users in the experiment believed they had turned the feature on, but their feeds did not change, unlike those who received the fully working version.
The newly unsealed claims also say TikTok ran other tests of this kind. One is said to be the case Bloomberg reported earlier this year, in which the company allegedly withheld a safety update to its algorithm from some users.
Internal concerns and misleading descriptions
New York says a product manager for Digital Well Being at TikTok raised concerns about the test internally. The manager reportedly said the feature is about algorithm transparency and control, and that a placebo group completely conflicts with that.
The lawsuit also claims TikTok misled users by presenting the Algo Refresh feature as a permanent reset when it was only temporary.
TikTok's response
TikTok spokesperson Nathaniel Brown told The Verge that the company continuously improves its platform and, like most companies, regularly tests new products and features to validate the experience and understand how they work in the real world.
