TikTok tested fake safety tools on users
If you build recommendation systems, you know how A/B testing works, but TikTok took optimization to a questionable level. New York sued the company after uncovering that it secretly subjected over 28,000 users, including minors, to a non-functional placebo version of the 'Algo Refresh' tool.
Back in 2023, the platform ran these hidden experiments to measure how safety settings affected user engagement and ad revenue. Internal product managers warned that a fake reset button contradicted algorithm transparency, but management ignored the feedback.
Users never gave consent, meaning teens seeking to avoid harmful content unknowingly kept getting unfiltered feeds just to boost platform metrics.
⚠️ #TikTok #DataPrivacy #TechNews
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If you build recommendation systems, you know how A/B testing works, but TikTok took optimization to a questionable level. New York sued the company after uncovering that it secretly subjected over 28,000 users, including minors, to a non-functional placebo version of the 'Algo Refresh' tool.
Back in 2023, the platform ran these hidden experiments to measure how safety settings affected user engagement and ad revenue. Internal product managers warned that a fake reset button contradicted algorithm transparency, but management ignored the feedback.
Users never gave consent, meaning teens seeking to avoid harmful content unknowingly kept getting unfiltered feeds just to boost platform metrics.
⚠️ #TikTok #DataPrivacy #TechNews
Subscribe