Senators press TikTok on 'sinister' experiment that held back an algorithm safety feature

A teen who died by suicide was reportedly part of the test. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images TikTok is facing a new round of questions about its safety record and how its algorithm has fueled problematic "filter bubbles." Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal sent a sharply worded letter to the company's top executives questioning them about how the app has tested, and in some cases, withheld, key safety features. The letter comes after Bloomberg reported on an experiment the company began in 2021 related to an algorithmic safety feature. The change was meant to help users avoid "repetitive patterns," or what are sometimes referred to as "filter bubbles," in its "for you" feed. The company said at the time that the update was meant to guard against "viewing too much of a content cat