Senators Demand TikTok Response Over Experiment That Neglected Safety Features for Users

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have issued a deadline to TikTok regarding an experiment that reportedly deprived 15 million U.S. users of a critical safety feature, which has drawn scrutiny following the tragic case of a teenager who died by suicide.

In a letter addressed to TikTok CEO Shou Chew and Adam Presser, the CEO of TikTok’s U.S. operations, the senators characterized the company’s choice to run the experiment as “depraved.” The experiment involved intentionally disabling an algorithmic safeguard that aimed to protect users from excessive exposure to harmful content. This safeguard was disabled for 10% of U.S. users, establishing a control group to investigate whether the absence of the feature affected user engagement with the platform.

Chase Nasca, a 16-year-old member of the control group, reportedly received a stream of content centered on themes of sadness, suicide, and loneliness before he died by suicide. His case has raised significant concerns about the ethical implications of TikTok’s experimentation methods.

The senators have requested answers to a series of 13 questions related to the experiment, including the identities of all employees aware of the initiative and the reasoning behind including minors in the control group. Additionally, they seek a comprehensive list of all algorithmic experiments conducted in the U.S. where safety features were disabled or delayed. TikTok has until September 1 to provide a response to these inquiries.

As of the latest update, TikTok has not responded to a request for comment from TechCrunch.