TikTok Did Not Give Safety Feature to 15 Million Users

TikTok users got different protection from bad content.

TikTok had an experiment to test a new safety feature. It did not give this feature to 10% of its US users, which was about 15 million people.

A 16-year-old boy named Chase Nasca was part of the group that did not get the safety feature.

TikTok found out that Chase's account was showing him many videos about suicide and sadness. The company said this happened because Chase was in the group that did not get the new safety feature.

TikTok knew its algorithm could show users too much of the same bad content. It was trying to find a way to stop this from happening.

TikTok tested its new safety feature on 90% of its US users. The other 10% did not get the feature.

This test allowed TikTok to see what happened when some users got the safety feature and others did not. The company wanted to know if the feature would affect how many people used the app.

TikTok was trying to balance keeping users safe and making sure people kept using the app. The company did not want to lose users because of the new safety feature.

TikTok said the test was to see if the safety changes were working. The company has changed how it tests new features since then.

TikTok did not look at Chase's account after he died. It was not until much later, when a news company asked about it, that TikTok looked at his account.

When TikTok looked at Chase's account, it found out that he had been shown many videos about sadness and suicide. Most of these videos did not break TikTok's rules, but together they were very harmful.

Some of the videos Chase saw did break TikTok's rules. He kept seeing these videos even in the last hours of his life.

TikTok found out that Chase's account had been showing him the same kind of videos over and over. The company said it would try to stop this from happening to other users.

TikTok finished its review of Chase's account just before the company's CEO had to talk to lawmakers about the app's safety.

Lawmakers asked the CEO about the safety of the app, especially for teenagers. The CEO said that safety was very important to TikTok.

Chase's parents were at the hearing. They saw examples of the videos their son had been shown.

After the hearing, lawmakers kept asking TikTok questions. The company said it used tests to see if its safety features were working.

TikTok did not tell lawmakers about Chase's case. The company said it was committed to keeping users safe.

TikTok said it did not think its app had caused users to commit suicide.

The company said it was very sad about any family that had lost someone. TikTok said it was working hard to keep users safe.

There are many lawsuits against social media companies about whether they are responsible for harming young users. TikTok has settled some of these cases.

Chase's family is still trying to sue TikTok. There are questions about whether the company's internal review will be used in the case.

This case could affect how social media companies are regulated. Lawmakers and courts are looking at how these companies protect young users.

If you are feeling suicidal or having a mental health crisis, please talk to someone. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or chat with someone online.

There are many resources available to help with mental health. You can call or text different numbers or chat with someone online.

Topics: Mental Health, Social Good, TikTok

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