Hajra Naz
Two U.S. senators have given TikTok a firm deadline. They want answers about a specific experiment. That experiment reportedly withheld a safety feature. It affected 15 million U.S. users. Among those users was a teenager who later died by suicide.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a formal letter. It was addressed to TikTok CEO Shou Chew. It also went to Adam Presser, CEO of the company’s U.S. business. In the letter, the senators called the company’s decision to run this experiment “depraved.”
What the Experiment Involved
Bloomberg reported specific details about this experiment. According to the report, TikTok intentionally disabled an algorithmic safeguard. This affected 10% of U.S. users. That group effectively became a control group for testing purposes. The disabled safeguard had a specific function.
It was designed to prevent users from being overwhelmed by harmful content. However, TikTok reportedly wanted to test something else. The company wanted to know if this safeguard made the app less engaging overall. That’s why it decided to run the experiment in the first place.
A Teenager’s Death Linked to the Test
One person included in this control group was 16-year-old Chase Nasca. According to reports, his algorithm fed him a specific stream of content. That included thousands of videos about sadness, suicide, and loneliness. This continued up until his death by suicide.
Read More: TikTok Announces the Return of Music On Stage in 2026
Senators Demand a Full Accounting
The senators are now demanding detailed answers. They’ve submitted 13 specific questions about the experiment. That includes a request for names. Specifically, they want to know every employee who knew about the experiment beforehand. They’re also asking a critical question. Why did TikTok allow minors to be included in the control group at all?
The senators are seeking additional information too. They want a complete list of every algorithmic experiment conducted in the U.S. That list should cover any instance where the platform disabled or delayed a safety feature. TikTok has been given a clear deadline to respond. The company must answer these questions by September 1.
