TikTok accused of testing ineffective security features on teenagers and children

New York Attorney General's lawsuit reveals that TikTok's "algorithm refresh" feature has been accused of deceptive experiments

According to Reuters, New York Attorney General Letitia James declassified a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that thousands of users who activated the "Algo Refresh" security tool actually received an invalid version of the feature.

This tool is designed to reset users 'recommendations when they want to stay away from unwanted or harmful videos. However, the litigation documents refer to the operation as a "ghost experiment" or a "placebo experiment." The accusation states that users in the placebo group (i.e., not actually receiving a feature reset) received confirmation that "algorithm refresh" was activated, but their recommendation stream was not actually reset.

New York State alleges misleading users

Litigation documents alleges that TikTok assures users that security is its top priority and claims that the platform is suitable for use by children and teenagers, while deliberately concealing access to security tools from certain groups, including users who explicitly seek to avoid harmful content.

According to the content of the lawsuit, the company misled users about the actual operation of the "algorithm refresh" function. In fact, this feature is only a temporary reset of the recommendation algorithm. According to filing, TikTok will continue to conduct such experiments on thousands of users during 2023, comparing data from groups using and not using this feature, and analyzing the time users spend on the platform and the impact of configuration changes on advertising revenue.

A TikTok spokesperson said the company is constantly making improvements and, like most technology companies, regularly tests new products and features to verify the experience and understand how it works in the real world. TikTok broadly refuted New York State's allegations in a court filing and emphasized that ensuring the safety of young users is a company priority.

TikTok employees have warned that placebo testing may mislead users.

Litigation documents disclose that a product manager in TikTok's digital health division pointed out to colleagues that there was a problem with placebo testing for "algorithm updates" and users may find the design misleading.

The employee wrote in an internal chat: "This feature is about transparency and control of the algorithm." "Setting up a placebo group is the exact opposite of this." Despite internal concerns, the company persisted in conducting these tests.

Details of the lawsuit were recently released

The above allegations surfaced after the complaint documents were declassified. Attorney General James filed the case in 2024, and the latest allegations were included in a sealed amendment complaint filed at the end of August 2026. It was not until after the judge ordered the declassification of the complaint document that the relevant content was made public.

Reuters reported that in other state lawsuits against TikTok, many documents were also sealed or highly redacted in an attempt to conceal secret information about the company's internal operations.

Another experiment sparks tragedy and congressional attention

The declassified complaint also alleged another experiment in which TikTok appeared to randomly turn off security measures for some users. According to an internal investigation cited in the lawsuit, a teenager from New York who was selected for the test group eventually committed suicide. Investigations showed that his account was filled with content about suicide and self-harm.

The experiment has also attracted attention from Washington. In August, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal described it as "outrageous." The two senators asked TikTok 13 questions to understand the test's original intention, who approved it, and so-called safeguards.

Broader legal challenges

The New York State lawsuit is only part of a broader legal challenge. More than 20 states have accused TikTok of designing features that encourage forced use by teenagers, despite the company's exaggerated promotion of its security measures.

This pressure has led to a settlement agreement. In September, TikTok agreed to pay Alabama up to $300 million and modify the way its platform operates for teenagers, resolving the first state cases that were about to enter trial.