New York alleges TikTok provided ineffective safety features to users

<figure> <img alt="Vector art of the TikTok logo." src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25406817/STK051_TIKTOK_CVirginia_B.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">New York has alleged that thousands of TikTok users, including children and teenagers, were given ineffective versions of the platform's safety features instead of functional ones. According to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/tiktok-gave-teens-children-placebo-safety-feature-experiment-new-york-alleges-2026-10-07/"><em>Reuters</em></a>, this allegation is part of an updated version of <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/8/24265169/tiktok-lawsuit-state-attorneys-general-kids-mental-health">New York's 2024 lawsuit against TikTok</a>, which was subsequently ordered to be unsealed by a judge.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The new allegations suggest that TikTok's experiment prevented some users from accessing features such as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/16/23642405/tiktok-refresh-feature-for-you-page-feed-algorithm-reset">an option to reset their algorithm</a>, which could help users avoid harmful content in their feeds. <em>Reuters</em> reports that users involved in the experiment believed they had activated these safety features.</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1008112/new-york-tiktok-lawsuit-placebo-safety-features">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>