Bloomberg: TikTok kept harmful algorithm for 15 million in 2021 test, linked to teen death
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TikTok deliberately exposed 15 million U.S. users to a harmful content algorithm during a 2021 experiment, according to internal documents obtained by Bloomberg. One member of the control group, 16-year-old Chase Nasca, died by suicide after receiving over 7,500 recommendations for self-harm content in two weeks, the documents show. The experiment was originally designed to test an update aimed at reducing harmful content, but the company kept the older, riskier system for a subset of users.
The 2021 Experiment
Internal TikTok documents reviewed by Bloomberg show that in 2021, the company ran an experiment to test a new algorithm designed to limit harmful content. Rather than rolling it out to all users, TikTok deliberately kept a control group of about 15 million U.S. users on the old algorithm, which continued to aggressively recommend self-harm and suicide-related videos. The test was conducted without users' knowledge or consent, according to the documents.
Fatal Consequences
One user in the control group, 16-year-old Chase Nasca, was subjected to an intense filter bubble of harmful content in the two weeks before his death. The documents indicate that 7,563 videos were recommended to him during that period, many featuring self-harm and suicide themes. Nasca died by suicide after what his family describes as a dramatic change in his mental state linked to his TikTok consumption.
What's Next
TikTok has not yet publicly commented on the Bloomberg report. The revelation raises questions about the ethical oversight of platform experiments and whether U.S. regulators will investigate the company's practices.
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Bloomberg: TikTok kept harmful algorithm for 15 million in 2021 test, linked to teen death
