TikTok Accused of Testing Fake Safety Tools on Users

TikTok allegedly gave thousands of users, including children and teenagers, non-functional versions of safety features as part of experiments on its platform, according to newly unsealed claims in a New York lawsuit.

New York Attorney General Letitia James alleges TikTok conducted “ghost” or placebo tests involving users who tried to activate safety tools such as “Algo Refresh.” The feature was promoted as a way to reset recommendations and help users avoid unwanted or potentially harmful content.

However, some participants who believed they had activated Algo Refresh reportedly received a placebo version that did not change their feeds. TikTok compared their behavior with users who received a functioning version, examining factors including time spent on the platform and advertising revenue, according to the lawsuit.

The experiments were allegedly conducted repeatedly on thousands of users in 2023. An internal TikTok product manager reportedly raised concerns, arguing that a placebo group conflicted with a feature intended to provide greater algorithm transparency and control.

The lawsuit also claims TikTok misrepresented Algo Refresh by suggesting it reset users’ recommendation algorithms when its effects were only temporary.

TikTok said it regularly tests products and features to understand how they perform in real-world conditions. The company has broadly denied New York’s allegations and maintains that protecting younger users remains a priority.

The unsealed complaint also describes separate experiments in which TikTok allegedly disabled certain safety protections for randomly selected users, potentially increasing exposure to harmful material.

According to the lawsuit and previous reporting by Bloomberg, a teenage boy in New York who was included in one experiment later died by suicide after being exposed to substantial amounts of self-harm and suicide-related content. Internal reviews reportedly found that his account had received an “onslaught” of such material.

James originally sued TikTok in 2024 as part of broader state-level legal action accusing the platform of using addictive design features and misleading consumers about protections for children and teenagers.

TikTok settled a separate Alabama lawsuit in September for up to $300 million and agreed to modify how its platform operates for teens in the state.