FuriaHubSenators press TikTok on an experiment that turned off a safeguard
Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal asked TikTok to explain an experiment that withheld an algorithmic safeguard from a U.S. control group. They set a September 1 deadline and listed 13 questions.
On August 20, 2026, TechCrunch reported that Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Chew and U.S. CEO Adam Presser about an experiment that disabled an algorithmic safeguard. Bloomberg had reported the company turned the feature off for 10% of U.S. users as a control group.
What we know
- Bloomberg said TikTok disabled the safeguard for 10% of U.S. users to test whether it made the app less engaging.
- TechCrunch said the control group included about 15 million U.S. users, among them 16-year-old Chase Nasca, who later died by suicide.
- The senators called the decision “depraved” and asked for names of employees who knew, why minors were included, and a list of U.S. experiments that disabled or delayed a safety feature.
- TikTok has until September 1 to answer 13 questions; it did not immediately comment to TechCrunch.
Takeaways
- The letter is a demand for records, not a completed investigation.
- Bloomberg’s 10% control group is the factual core of the dispute.
- TikTok’s written answers are due September 1.
Source: TechCrunch
