The allegations became public on October 7, 2026: New York Attorney General Letitia James’s updated child-safety lawsuit alleges that TikTok withheld its Algo Refresh recommendation-reset feature from about 15 million U.S. users in a test that included minors. The test reportedly began in 2021, and the group was described as 10% of U.S. users.
What New York’s lawsuit alleges
The complaint alleges that TikTok withheld Algo Refresh from a comparison group and included minors among the users who did not receive the feature. It also alleges that users were not told about or asked to join the test.
The reported purpose was to compare behavior between people who had Algo Refresh and those who did not, including whether access to the reset changed time spent on TikTok.
What Algo Refresh is described as doing
Algo Refresh is described as a way to reset recommendations: it clears earlier likes and interactions, then returns the feed to popular, general content. The alleged test compared users who received that reset with users who continued without it.
The test’s reported U.S. scope
The group without Algo Refresh reportedly included about 15 million U.S. users, described as 10% of users in the country. The lawsuit’s reported account places the test’s start in 2021.
NeoTeo previously covered a separate allegation involving placebo versions of Algo Refresh; that was a different test from the reported 2021 withholding of the feature.
TikTok’s reported response
TikTok reportedly acknowledged the experiment in a court document and disputed that its tests made the experience less safe. The company said it tests products and features to validate them and understand how they perform in real-world use. Its reported court filing also said some platform traffic may have continued to receive the original experience.
The teenager mentioned in the complaint
The complaint also links a teenager in the alleged test group to exposure to self-harm and suicide content and a subsequent suicide.
