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NY Accuses TikTok of Secret Teen Safety Tests, Per Bloomberg

“Bloomberg reports New York has accused TikTok of running secret safety tests on teenagers. Joining us is the CEO of a rival app, Brenda Kowalczyk-Finch.” — Hank Ledger, on air

On air: Hank Ledger on The Recap
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  • Bloomberg.comTikTok Accused by NY of Running Secret Safety Tests on Teens

What BBN said about it

  1. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBloomberg reports New York has accused TikTok of running secret safety tests on teenagers. Joining us is the CEO of a rival app, Brenda Kowalczyk-Finch.

  2. Brenda Kowalczyk-FinchThanks, Hank. First, my company, ClipNest, would never do that. We test on adults who didn't read the terms. That's called consent.

  3. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorBloomberg says the state alleges the tests were secret and aimed at teens. Is that normal in your industry?

  4. Brenda Kowalczyk-FinchSecret is a strong word. We prefer unannounced engagement experiences. Our legal team prefers the phrase, and I quote, please stop emailing us.

  5. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe allegation is about teenagers specifically. Do you test anything on teenagers at ClipNest?

  6. Brenda Kowalczyk-FinchOnly our break room vending machine. Teens figured out how to get free pretzels in an hour. They're better engineers than my engineers.

  7. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThat is not a reassuring answer. The editor's angle notes this adds pressure on TikTok and its Chinese owner, ByteDance. Does that help you?

  8. Brenda Kowalczyk-FinchHank, every time a competitor gets investigated, I light a candle and quietly stretch my hamstrings. Then my lawyer calls, and I blow it out.

  9. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorUnderstood. Has any regulator ever asked you about your own testing?

  10. Brenda Kowalczyk-FinchOnce. A very polite man in a lanyard. I gave him a pretzel and a fake org chart. We never spoke again.

  11. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSo you bribed an inspector with a pretzel. On live television.

  12. Brenda Kowalczyk-FinchAllegedly! And it was a artisan pretzel. Please note that. It was a very nice pretzel, Hank.

  13. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWe'll have to leave it there. Brenda Kowalczyk-Finch, fictional CEO of ClipNest. Nobody on this desk will be eating pretzels tonight.

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The story so far

  1. Cornell Protest; NY Attorney General Race Heats Up · New York Post
  2. California Heat Wave, NY Measles Emergency · New York Post
  3. NY Voters Wary of Socialism, Rangers Face Islanders · New York Post
  4. U.S. Pulls Bombers From UK Base; NY Declares Measles Disaster · Al Jazeera
  5. The Latest: NY Politics, Playoffs, Fed Minutes, Yemen · New York Post
  6. NY Accuses TikTok of Secret Teen Safety Tests, Per Bloomberg (this story)
  7. Amazon Confirms Under 1,000 Corporate Layoffs; TikTok Suit Adds Detail · Seeking Alpha
  8. NY Fed: Tariffs Drove Inflation in 67 Goods Categories · CNBC
  9. New York Sues TikTok Over Fake Teen Safety Feature · TechCrunch
  10. Meta Bans TikTok Ads on Its Apps; Nasdaq Off 1.25% · Bloomberg.com

From the archive: everything BBN aired on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months

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