U.S. Senators Ask TikTok to Answer for its “Depraved” Safety Experiment on Children

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Two U.S. senators are demanding answers from TikTok over a “depraved” experiment it ran that involved secretly withholding a safety feature from millions of users — including children — on its platform.

With an estimated one billion users worldwide — including upwards of 135 million in the U.S. — TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms on the planet. Its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, has been valued at $300 billion.

But for years, TikTok has been under scrutiny for struggling to protect private user data from entities in China — including the Chinese Communist Party — and the platform has been accused of serving users a steady “diet of darkness” online.

TikTok’s attorneys and representatives have often denied or downplayed accusations against the platform, arguing the company takes safety very seriously. But a recent Bloomberg report shows that in 2022, the social media giant knowingly endangered teens and other users by disabling a key safety measure on TikTok’s algorithm for millions of users.

The LA Times says TikTok disabled the safety feature as part of an experiment to see how the feature affected user behavior. The news has prompted letters from at least two U.S. senators.

Last Thursday, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter demanding answers from TikTok.

The letter says TikTok failed to tell the public about “its depraved decision to intentionally withhold these protections from approximately 10 percent of its U.S. users—a control group that reportedly represented approximately 15 million Americans at the time.”

The letter says that in January of 2022, TikTok disabled safety features on 16-year-old Chase Nasca’s TikTok account, causing him to be inundated with “thousands of videos involving themes of sadness, hopelessness, loneliness, suicide, and self-harm” on TikTok.

The following month, Chase died by suicide.

The senators ask TikTok to provide detailed information about the secret experiment and any others TikTok has run.

Leaders in Arkansas have raised concerns about harmful content on TikTok for the past several years.

In 2023, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a pair of consumer protection lawsuits against TikTok in state court.

The legal complaints call the TikTok app “a Chinese ‘Trojan Horse’ unleashed on unsuspecting American consumers,” and highlight how TikTok fails to protect private user data.

The Attorney General’s office argues that TikTok’s algorithm “force-feeds” objectionable content to users — including “illegal drug use, sex, violence, and self-harm.”

The A.G.’s team says that TikTok deceptively labeled its app as being appropriate for ages 13 and up when it really should have been rated 17+.

As we have said again and again, there is growing evidence that social media platforms may deliberately addict users, promote objectionable content, and put people’s personal information at risk.

Social media platforms are more than just phone apps or websites. These are multibillion-dollar businesses, and the adults who profit from them need to be held accountable when they harm innocent people.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Facebook Owner Faces Avalanche of Lawsuits for Allegedly Harming Kids

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A federal trial got underway last week in Oakland, California, over claims that social media platforms harmed children’s mental health and illegally tracked kids under 13.

The U.S. Surgeon General says 95% of American teenagers use social media, and about one-third use it “almost constantly.” But federal lawsuits have raised concerns about the harm that Big Tech can do to kids.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that jury selection began last Wednesday in a landmark case against social media giant Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

The lawsuit claims Meta routinely collected data on children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law. It also alleges the company knowingly designed its platforms to addict young users and hid what it knew about the harm its platforms caused.

Opening statements are set for this week. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are both expected to testify.

The trial is part of an avalanche of lawsuits Meta currently faces in state and federal court.

In 2023, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sued Meta in state court for endangering children. In the lawsuit, his office alleged that platforms like Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time.” The A.G. says this exploitation is especially harmful for young users with developing brains. The lawsuit is still ongoing.

Time and again, we have seen examples of just how harmful tech platforms can be — especially for children.

Courts in New Mexico and California have already found Meta liable for harming children on its platforms.

Social media giant TikTok has found itself embroiled in controversies over its failure to protect private user data from entities in China — including the Chinese Communist Party. The platform also has been accused of serving users a steady “diet of darkness” and violating laws intended to protect children online.

Late last year, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sent a strongly worded letter to major AI developers, calling for real safeguards that protect kids. In a statement, Kobach highlighted a Topeka case in which a sexual predator used AI to create thousands of images depicting child abuse.

It’s worth pointing out that adults and teens are beginning to understand that users need protection on social media and other tech platforms.

A recent survey from the Pew Research Center revealed most adults support banning children under 16 from using social media altogether, and polling shows most teens worry that someone could use AI to generate inappropriate images of them.

Tech platforms are multibillion-dollar businesses that profit from users’ attention and emotions. The adults who own and profit from these businesses have a responsibility to protect their users — especially teenagers.

Children deserve proactive protection online. The Arkansas Legislature and Arkansas Attorney General’s office have worked hard to give children that kind of protection. Our federal courts need to do their part as well.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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TikTok Seeks Arkansas School Documents

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Last week, attorneys for TikTok served subpoenas on public school officials in Northwest Arkansas requesting documents and testimony that may be relevant to a lawsuit over the social media giant’s operations.

TikTok boasts approximately one billion users worldwide — including upwards of 135 million in the U.S. — making it one of the most popular social media platforms on the planet. Its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, has been valued at $300 billion.

But TikTok has come under fire for struggling to protect private user data from entities in China — including the Chinese Communist Party — and the platform has been accused of serving users a steady “diet of darkness” online.

In 2023, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a consumer protection lawsuit against TikTok in Cleburne County Circuit Court.

The A.G.’s legal complaint calls the TikTok app “a Chinese ‘Trojan Horse’ unleashed on unsuspecting American consumers,” and notes that “tens of millions of minors use TikTok in the United States.”

Once on the app, the Attorney General’s office writes that TikTok’s algorithm “force-feeds” objectionable content to users.

The lawsuit says some of the objectionable content TikTok promotes to teens includes “illegal drug use, sex, violence, and self-harm,” and alleges that TikTok deceptively labeled its app as being appropriate for ages 13 and up when it really should have been rated 17+.

Last Tuesday, attorneys for TikTok served subpoenas to public school officials in Springdale requesting research, studies, communications, policies, programs, public statements, complaints, and other records concerning TikTok and other online platforms — particularly the effects these platforms allegedly have on Arkansas youth.

To be clear, the Springdale schools and officials are not being sued and are not accused of any wrongdoing in these documents. Rather, the subpoenas appear aimed at obtaining documents and deposition testimony that the attorneys may use in defending against Attorney General Griffin’s lawsuit.

As we have said repeatedly, there is growing evidence that social media platforms may deliberately addict users, promote objectionable content, and put people’s personal information at risk.

Social media platforms are more than just phone apps or websites. These are multibillion-dollar businesses, and the adults who profit from them need to be held to the same standards as other business leaders.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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