#6



TikTok is terrorism and The Nasca family would like to draw attention to the financial impetus that allowed Bytedance to propagate its' deadly business model.


Bytedance, a foreign company that is beholden to the Chinese Communist Government, is partially financed through investments from U.S. equity firms, like General Atlantic (CEO Bill Ford), The Carlyle Group, co-founded and co-chaired by David Rubenstein and Susquehanna International Group (Jeff Yass). These private equity firms share responsibility for the many harms TikTok is inflicting on American children, through a foreign adversary.


Chase was a high honors student at Bayport-Blue Point High School, a swimmer and competitive soccer player who had a large and very close circle of friends. He had shown no outward signs of depression, sleep deprivation or mental distress our only knowledge that he was suicidal was the text he sent his friend on the night he died.


When we reviewed Chase's ipad, we found that TikTok had sent thousands of videos to his "For You" feed promoting depression, despair and suicide with dark and depressing music. These videos asked "when will the pain go away", suggested that "there is no reason to keep on going", suggested that "sleeping is not enough I need to die", and encouraged viewers to "kill myself and ease the pain". At least three of the TikTok videos depicted individuals standing on train tracks in front of a locomotive stating "I went for a quick lil walk to clear my head".


There was no indication that our son was actively searching for suicidal videos on TikTok rather his searches were for athletics, comics and motivational speech. Furthermore, this horrific material was sent by TikTok unsolicited into his "For You" feed. When we realized that TikTok had flooded our young son with thousands of dark suicidal videos in the weeks leading up to his death, it became apparent why he had taken his life. However, solving the mystery of Chase's death furnished no solace or meaning for this senseless loss. Rather, we learned that Chase fell victim to TikTok's intentional business decision to maximize user engagement-and corresponding advertising revenue-by sending him videos that, while psychologically disturbing, he could not stop watching. TikTok's algorithm sent Chase down a rabbit hole of depression and despair and continues to send suicidal content to his account a year after his death.


We decided to pursue legal action against TikTok, and its parent company Bytedance, to hold them accountable for the senseless death of our beloved son. During his testimony before Congress in late March, TikTok's CEO expressed no remorse over Chase's death and failed to acknowledge any responsibility for the thousands of unsolicited suicide-promoting videos TikTok sends to young users. Based on this moral indifference, it is clear to us that until TikTok is held accountable in a court of law for the deadly algorithms that drive its platforms, it will not change its business decisions to elevate financially profitable user engagement over socially responsible user safety.


Our lawsuit will not bring Chase back to us or assuage our family's loss. Yet, if this case forces TikTok to correct its' outrageous misconduct, other children will avoid the fate that befell our son Chase and other families will be spared the pain that we will feel to the end of our days, and our lawsuit will be a monument to his memory.


A few days after Chase passed, our family was visited by Family Service League's (FSL) Joe's Project, a Long Island non-profit human services organization that provides immediate support to individuals and families who have lost a child or other loved one to suicide. FSL's Joe's Project helps guide survivors as they navigate an intense, complex, and overwhelming grief path.

The dedicated staff delivers tangible help and crisis intervention across a spectrum of service areas including mental health counseling, housing, addiction prevention & treatment, trauma counseling, early education, and family & senior support services, including a 24-hour crisis care center and hotline. 631-953-3333.


If you would like to support this tremendous organization and honor Chase's memory to assist other families in need of support, please go to fsl-li.org/donate (or click this link) which will take you directly to the Donate page of the Family Service League's website.


Please click "Donate Now" under "Every Gift Counts"
Under the Section "I would like to support:" please click the box "Joe's Project"
Under the Section "My donation is in honor of ** " you can enter "Chase Nasca" if your prefer.


The Nasca family thanks you for your support.