State AGs take on TikTok

TikTok in the hot seat

A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general are investigating TikTok’s impact on the wellbeing of children, they announced Wednesday.

The attorneys general will investigate if the popular video sharing app violated state consumer protection laws and put the public at risk.

This follows an investigation launched by the same group of attorneys general in November into Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over the platforms’ impact on kids’ safety.

The details: The investigation into TikTok will look at harms use of the app may cause young people and what TikTok knew about them. It will look at methods used by the app to boost young user engagement, including by increasing the duration of time present on the platform, according to an announcement released by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey (D).

What the company is saying: A TikTok spokesperson defended the safety policies the company has in place to protect teenaged users.

“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. We look forward to providing information on the many safety and privacy protections we have for teens,” the spokesperson said in a statement.