A coalition of state attorneys general are investigating the potential harms that TikTok poses to children and young adults.
Led by AGs from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont, the nationwide probe will examine whether the popular video-sharing platform violates state consumer protection laws and puts kids at risk.
“Our children are growing up in the age of social media—and many feel like they need to measure up to the filtered versions of reality that they see on their screens,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “We know this takes a devastating toll on children’s mental health and well-being. But we don’t know what social media companies knew about these harms and when.”
The investigation, according to Bonta’s office, focuses on TikTok’s techniques to boost young user engagement, including efforts to increase time spent on, and frequency of engagement with, the app. “Our nationwide investigation will allow us to get much-needed answers,” Bonta said, “and determine if TikTok is violating the law in promoting its platform to young [people].”
TikTok has made a number of recent changes aimed at minors (and their guardians), including parental controls, privacy defaults, and a limit on push notifications, among other security measures. In the first quarter of 2021, the company removed or blocked more than 7.2 million accounts created by children.
“We care deeply about building an experience that helps to protect and support the well-being of our community, and appreciate that the state attorneys general are focusing on the safety of younger users,” a TikTok spokesperson told The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal. “We look forward to providing information on the many safety and privacy protections we have for teens.”
Bonta previously targeted Facebook parent Meta for pushing Instagram to children and young adults, “despite knowing that such use is associated with physical and mental health harms.” Last year, he joined 43 AGs in urging Meta to abandon plans for an Instagram Kids application—a fight the politicians won in September, when Instagram announced it would “pause” work on the standalone program.
