A media device, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to: transmit a message request to a messaging server; receive a message response from the messaging server in response to the transmitted message request, wherein the message response comprises a message and a messenger identifier; generate a hash value of a concatenation of an identifier associated with the media device and the messenger identifier stored in the received message response, wherein the identifier associated with the media device represents a user of the media device; determine the hash value maps into a control group based at least in part on a threshold value controlling a size of the control group, wherein the control group identifies users for which the media device withholds processing of the message; and in response to the determination that the hash value maps into the control group, withhold processing of the message and transmit, to the messaging server, a pixel tag indicating that the message was withheld for processing by the media device. at least one processor; and a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to: transmit a message request to a messaging server; receive a message response from the messaging server in response to the transmitted message request, wherein the message response comprises a message and a messenger identifier; generate a hash value of a concatenation of an identifier associated with the media device and the messenger identifier stored in the received message response, wherein the identifier associated with the media device represents a user of the media device; determine the hash value maps into a control group based at least in part on a threshold value controlling a size of the control group, wherein the control group identifies users for which the media device withholds processing of the message; and in response to the determination that the hash value maps into the control group, withhold processing of the message and transmit, to the messaging server, a pixel tag indicating that the message was withheld for processing by the media device. transmit a message request to a messaging server; receive a message response from the messaging server in response to the transmitted message request, wherein the message response comprises a message and a messenger identifier; generate a hash value of a concatenation of an identifier associated with the media device and the messenger identifier stored in the received message response, wherein the identifier associated with the media device represents a user of the media device; determine the hash value maps into a control group based at least in part on a threshold value controlling a size of the control group, wherein the control group identifies users for which the media device withholds processing of the message; and in response to the determination that the hash value maps into the control group, withhold processing of the message and transmit, to the messaging server, a pixel tag indicating that the message was withheld for processing by the media device. <EOS>