An investigation has been launched in eight American states into the possible harmful effects of the online video platform TikTok on young people. The research focuses on the company’s technology to keep users glued to the phone screen for longer.
The attorneys general have launched an investigation into the popular app in the states of California and Florida, among others. They accuse TikTok, a subsidiary of the Chinese group ByteDance, of encouraging children to use it for a long time. In particular, the algorithms and marketing methods used are examined.
‘Our children are growing up in the age of social networks. Many feel the need to compete with the filtered versions of reality they see on screens,” California attorney general Rob Bonta said in a statement. “We know this has devastating effects on children’s mental health and well-being. But we don’t know whether the companies themselves knew that and from when.’
Earlier, several attorneys general had already started an investigation into Meta, the parent company of Facebook, among others. The prosecutors accuse the social networking giant of promoting Instagram to young people and ignoring possible harmful consequences internal reports.
