TikTok’s Effects On Young People To Be Investigated By US States

A coalition of eight US states, including California and Massachusetts, has announced it will be launching a bi-partisan, nationwide investigation into TikTok’s effects on young people.

In particular, it will probe the harmful physical or mental ways the popular video-sharing app has affected Gen Z, including what the company knows about those negative effects.

“The investigation focuses, among other things, on the methods and techniques utilized by TikTok to boost young user engagement,” explained Massachusetts Attorney General, Maura Healey.

According to Reuters, this includes increasing the amount of time youth spent on the platform, and the frequency with which they engage with its content.

In response, TikTok’s parent company, China-based ByteDance, has said that it is looking forward “to providing information on the many safety and privacy protections” it has implemented to safeguard teens.

As per The Business Times, Rob Bonta, California’s General Attorney, said the investigation would give the consortium “much-needed answers.”

This could allow it to determine if TikTok “is violating the law” by marketing its platform to young people in the country.

[via Reuters and The Business Times, cover image via Funstock / Shutterstock.com]