TikTok is facing allegations that it secretly provided thousands of users, including children and teenagers, with nonfunctional versions of safety features designed to control video recommendations. The allegations emerged in a New York lawsuit unsealed on October 7, 2026, which claims that users believed they had reset their recommended content even though the feature had not worked.
According to Reuters, the experiments involved a tool called “Algo Refresh,” which allows users to reset their recommendations and avoid unwanted or potentially harmful videos. Some participants unknowingly received placebo versions of the tool, while others had access to a functioning version.
TikTok Allegedly Tested Nonfunctional Safety Features
TikTok introduced its feed refresh feature in 2023, allowing users to reset their For You recommendations when the videos no longer matched their interests. Activating the feature is intended to provide a fresh selection of content, similar to the experience of someone opening a new TikTok account.
However, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged that TikTok conducted experiments in which selected users received versions of the feature that did not change their feeds. The participants were not informed that they were part of an experiment and believed the safety tool had been activated successfully.
The lawsuit claims the experiments were designed to measure how safety features affected user engagement and advertising revenue. It also alleges that a TikTok product manager raised internal concerns about whether these tests were consistent with the company’s commitments to transparency and user control.
New York Lawsuit Raises Concerns About Child Safety
The allegations form part of New York’s ongoing lawsuit against TikTok, one of more than two dozen cases brought by U.S. states. The lawsuits accuse the company of designing features that encourage excessive use among children while misleading users about its safety protections.
The lawsuit also references other experiments involving safety measures for younger users. According to earlier reporting, one experiment withheld a safety feature from approximately 15 million U.S. users, including a teenager who later died by suicide, although the reporting did not establish that the experiment caused the death.
In August, U.S. senators demanded answers from TikTok about experiments that allegedly disabled protections intended for younger users. Lawmakers questioned the company’s testing practices and the potential risks of withholding safeguards without informing participants.
TikTok Responds to Allegations
TikTok told Reuters that it regularly tests products and features to understand their performance in real-world conditions. The company described such testing as a common practice among technology businesses seeking to improve their services.
TikTok has disputed the broader allegations concerning child safety and addictive design. The claims concerning its placebo experiments remain allegations in ongoing litigation rather than established findings of wrongdoing.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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