Two US Senators Demand Answers from TikTok about Safety Experiment
Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have given TikTok until 1 September to answer 13 questions regarding a safety experiment conducted on approximately 15 million US users. They seek details about the test, including participant identities and internal documents.
TikTok faced criticism for temporarily disabling a safety feature for a significant user base, raising concerns about its handling of user data and algorithmic experiments. The senators described the move as "depraved" in their four-page letter.
What the Senators Are Asking
- Names of all employees informed about the experiment.
- Explanation of why minors were included.
- Timing of executive knowledge of the test.
- Unredacted internal document describing the experiment.
- A comprehensive list of all algorithmic tests conducted in the US, including details on users affected and whether minors were involved.
The letter emphasizes the "disgusting new reports" that TikTok intentionally withheld a safety measure, impacting children. It questions TikTok's commitment to prioritizing user safety over profits, citing the experiment's purpose to gauge the impact on business metrics.
The Document at the Center of the Controversy
This demand stems from a confidential TikTok document from 2023, revealed in litigation against major social media companies and sealed by a court. Bloomberg Businessweek reported its contents on 4 August.
The experiment involved turning off an algorithmic safeguard for 10% of US users, affecting about 15 million people, including Chase Nasca, a 16-year-old from New York who passed away by suicide within a month of being selected at random in January 2022. The document attributes the decision to balance safety measures with metric analysis.
TikTok's Response
TikTok has remained silent on the matter, opting not to comment directly on the letter but issuing a previous statement to Bloomberg Businessweek expressing commitment to user safety, particularly for teenagers.