New York: TikTok conducted experiments in which thousands of users, including children and teenagers, were allegedly given non-functional versions of safety features, according to allegations in a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The allegations were contained in an updated complaint that was recently unsealed. The lawsuit claims TikTok carried out so-called ‘ghost’ or placebo experiments involving its ‘Algo Refresh’ feature, which is designed to allow users to reset their video recommendations when they want to move away from unwanted or potentially harmful content.
According to the lawsuit, some users who chose to activate the feature believed their recommendations had been reset, while TikTok allegedly provided them with a non-functional version. The complaint claims the company repeatedly conducted the tests on thousands of users in 2023 to examine factors including how long people remained on the platform and the effect on advertising revenue.
An internal TikTok product manager for Digital Well Being reportedly raised concerns about the use of placebo tests, arguing that giving users a non-functional safety feature conflicted with the purpose of a tool designed to provide greater control over recommendations.
The lawsuit also alleges that TikTok misrepresented how ‘Algo Refresh’ worked, claiming the feature would reset a user’s recommendation algorithm when the effect was allegedly temporary. TikTok has disputed the characterization of the feature and broadly denied New York’s allegations.
The unsealed allegations also include claims that TikTok conducted separate experiments in which safety protections limiting exposure to harmful content were switched off for randomly selected users. The lawsuit references a New York teenager who was allegedly exposed to large amounts of content related to suicide and self-harm while participating in one of the tests.
The case is part of wider legal scrutiny of TikTok over its treatment of young users. More than two dozen states have brought lawsuits accusing the platform of using design features that encourage excessive use and of making misleading claims about safety.
New York’s allegations add to growing scrutiny of how social media companies test safety features and whether users, particularly children and teenagers, are adequately protected during such experiments. The claims remain allegations in ongoing litigation, and TikTok has denied wrongdoing.
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