The parents of a Long Island teenager who died by suicide are suing TikTok, alleging that the app used location tracking to push disturbing videos that contributed to his death.
According to court documents, 16-year-old Chase Nasca, of Bayport, New York, was repeatedly shown “railroad-themed suicide videos” on TikTok before stepping in front of a train in 2022. The lawsuit, filed by his parents, Dean and Michelle Nasca, claims TikTok’s algorithm deliberately fed Chase thousands of suicide-related videos, despite his initial searches for uplifting and motivational content.
The lawsuit also asserts that TikTok has admitted to tracking user location data to deliver “relevant” content, and it alleges that Chase’s proximity to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) played a role in the videos he was shown.
“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 filing states. “This was no coincidence.”
TikTok has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that content on its platform is protected under the First Amendment and that product liability laws do not apply, as it does not offer a physical product.
However, the Nasca family argues that TikTok “owed a duty of care” to protect users from foreseeable harm and that the platform was intentionally designed to “maximize” engagement through extreme and harmful content.
The case comes as lawmakers continue to scrutinize TikTok’s influence. Last year, Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell the platform to an American firm or face a nationwide ban. President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a sale to April 5, 2025.
The lawsuit against TikTok adds to the growing concerns over social media’s impact on mental health, especially among minors. With multiple states pursuing legislation to regulate content algorithms, this case could set a precedent for holding tech companies accountable for the consequences of their platforms.
