On October 7, 2026, newly unsealed allegations in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s amended lawsuit against TikTok Inc. described repeated 2023 placebo tests of Algo Refresh involving thousands of users, including children and teenagers. The lawsuit alleges that some people who tried to activate the feature received a version that left their feeds unchanged.
What New York alleges about Algo Refresh
Algo Refresh is intended to reset video recommendations for users seeking to avoid unwanted or potentially harmful content. The amended lawsuit alleges that TikTok repeatedly tested a placebo version in 2023, with thousands of users—including children and teens—receiving no change to their feeds after trying to use the feature.
TikTok’s response and separate safety-feature allegations
The lawsuit also alleges separate tests in which TikTok randomly turned off safety features that limited selected accounts’ exposure to harmful content. These allegations concern a different set of tests from those involving Algo Refresh.
TikTok said it routinely tests products and features and that the allegations mischaracterize how Algo Refresh works.
