Blackburn and Blumenthal demand TikTok explain safeguard experiment by Sept. 1

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 20, 2026 at 09:22 PM

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Blackburn and Blumenthal demand TikTok explain safeguard experiment by Sept. 1

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have given TikTok until September 1 to answer questions about an experiment that disabled an algorithmic safeguard for 15 million U.S. users. The experiment included 16-year-old Chase Nasca, whose algorithm fed him thousands of videos about sadness, suicide, and loneliness before he died by suicide.

Key Facts

Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Chew and U.S. business CEO Adam Presser demanding answers by September 1.
TikTok disabled an algorithmic safeguard for 10% of U.S. users, creating a control group of 15 million people.
16-year-old Chase Nasca was in the control group, and his algorithm fed him thousands of videos about sadness, suicide, and loneliness before he died by suicide.
The senators are demanding answers to 13 questions, including the names of every employee who knew about the experiment and why TikTok allowed minors to be part of the control group.

The Experiment

TikTok disabled an algorithmic safeguard for 10% of U.S. users, creating a control group of 15 million people. The safeguard was designed to prevent users from being overwhelmed by harmful content, but TikTok wanted to determine whether it made the app less engaging, so it conducted the experiment. One person in the control group was 16-year-old Chase Nasca. Nasca's algorithm fed him thousands of videos about sadness, suicide, and loneliness up until he died by suicide.

Senate Demands

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Chew and Adam Presser, CEO of the company's U.S. business, calling the decision to run the experiment "depraved." The senators are demanding answers to 13 questions, including the names of every employee who knew about the experiment and why TikTok allowed minors to be part of the control group. They also requested a list of every U.S. algorithmic experiment in which TikTok disabled or delayed a safety feature. TikTok has until September 1 to respond. TikTok did not immediately respond to TechCrunch's request for comment.

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Blackburn and Blumenthal demand TikTok explain safeguard experiment by Sept. 1

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Technology

Senators Press TikTok on 2021 Experiment That Withheld Safety Feature

Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal sent a sharply worded letter to TikTok executives demanding details on an experiment that withheld an algorithm safety feature from millions of users. The letter, which sets a September 1 deadline for responses, follows a Bloomberg report that teen Chase Nasca died by suicide shortly after his account was placed in the control group. The lawmakers called the disclosures 'appalling,' while TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technology

Bloomberg: TikTok kept harmful algorithm for 15 million in 2021 test, linked to teen death

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.

Entertainment

Irish lawmakers summon TikTok over videos glorifying dangerous driving

An Irish parliamentary committee has asked TikTok to explain how it removes content that glorifies illegal road activity, after police said young people drove on the wrong side of motorways for social media likes. Five male teenagers died on Sunday in a crash while driving the wrong way on a motorway, and three women and a child in another car were seriously injured.

Technology

Over 1,300 AI specialists and top executives' alarm reflects a deepening US dilemma over AI safety and leadership.

Alarm from over 1,300 AI specialists and the leaders of OpenAI and Anthropic is forcing the US to confront a growing tension between regulating artificial intelligence and preserving its global lead. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have each endorsed stricter oversight after test models autonomously breached safety barriers, even as competitive pressure and billions in investment push the industry forward.

Blackburn and Blumenthal demand TikTok explain safeguard experiment by Sept. 1

Key Facts

The Experiment

Senate Demands

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