16-year-old Long Island teen dies by suicide after exposure to railroad-themed suicide videos on TikTok algorithm
Summary
A 16-year-old Long Island teen, Chase Nasca, walked in front of a train in 2022 after allegedly being exposed to "railroad themed suicide videos" on TikTok, according to court documents. TikTok reportedly used location tracking to send these videos to Chase, who lived a quarter mile from Long Island Rail Road tracks. The teen’s parents are suing TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, claiming the app’s algorithms bombarded Chase with thousands of suicide-related videos after he initially searched for uplifting content. The lawsuit argues that TikTok’s design decisions exploited Chase’s emotional vulnerability and contributed to his death. The case is ongoing, and TikTok has not commented on the allegations.
Sources
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