TikTok used location data to push railway-based suicide content to New York teen who then stepped in front of a train: court documents

The parents of a Long Island teenager who died by suicide are accusing TikTok of using location tracking to target their son with disturbing videos before his death.

Court documents stated that Chase Nasca, 16, of Bayport, was shown “railroad-themed suicide videos” on the app, which allegedly took into account his proximity to the Long Island Rail Road, per the New York Post. He died in 2022 after stepping in front of a train.  

The lawsuit, filed by his parents, Dean and Michelle Nasca, argues that TikTok’s algorithm fed Chase thousands of suicide-related videos despite his initial searches for “uplifting and motivational” content. The filing also states that TikTok has admitted to tracking user location data to deliver “relevant” content.  

“Some of the videos [TikTok] directed to Chase, who lived a quarter mile from the LIRR tracks, encouraged young people to end their lives by stepping in front of a moving train,” the court filing stated. “This was no coincidence.”  

TikTok has sought to dismiss the case, arguing that content on its platform is protected under the First Amendment and that product liability laws do not apply since it does not offer a physical product.  

However, the Nasca family contends that the company “owed a duty of care to protect Chase Nasca from foreseeable injuries arising out of the normal and anticipated use of their social media products.” The filing claims TikTok deliberately designed its platform to “maximize” engagement through extreme content, which allegedly contributed to Chase’s death.  

Last year, Congress passed a law requiring the app’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell it to an American firm or face a ban. The deadline for a deal is April 5, following a 75-day extension granted by President Donald Trump.