TikTok is beneath investigation by a bunch of state attorneys normal

It has been virtually 6 months since Fb whistleblower Frances Haugen made headlines sharing inner firm paperwork displaying that its firm Instagram was having a destructive influence on younger folks’s psychological well being.

Now, a bunch of state attorneys normal wish to flip their consideration to TikTok.

In a assertion shared on Wednesday, Massachusetts Legal professional Normal Maura Healey introduced the launch of a “nationwide investigation” into TikTok in an effort to discover out if the cellular video sharing firm is “designing, working, and selling its social media platform to youngsters, teenagers, and younger adults in a way that causes or exacerbates bodily and psychological well being harms.”

As a part of the investigation, state attorneys normal across the nation will look into whether or not TikTok violated client protections legal guidelines and “put the general public in danger.” They will even examine whether or not the corporate knew about any potential harms its platform was inflicting to younger folks.

TikTok offered Mashable with a response to the investigation announcement.

“We care deeply about constructing an expertise that helps to guard and assist the well-being of our neighborhood, and recognize that the state attorneys normal are specializing in the protection of youthful customers,” mentioned a TikTok spokesperson. “We sit up for offering data on the numerous security and privateness protections we have now for teenagers.”

In keeping with AG Healey’s press launch, the investigation will give attention to TikTok’s methods and strategies to spice up engagement amongst its younger consumer base. This consists of methods used to extend engagement and the period of time customers spend on the app.

When Fb whistleblower Haugen went public final yr, paperwork confirmed that the corporate, now referred to as Meta, knew in regards to the psychological well being hurt its platform might trigger younger folks. Meta even scrapped plans of constructing a particular Instagram platform for teenagers because of these revelations.

One other end result: TikTok discovered itself on Capitol Hill at its first Congressional hearing as members of Congress wished to search out out what was occurring to younger folks on different platforms as properly. Very similar to Instagram, TikTok’s consumer base tendencies younger – if not even youthful than Instagram’s. 

There have been issues over psychological well being points on TikTok, though these appear to have primarily focused on the content material on the platform. For instance, an ABC Information report from final yr discovered that some TikTok tendencies had been inflicting younger teenage customers to consider that that they had particular psychological sicknesses.

“As youngsters and teenagers already grapple with points of hysteria, social strain, and melancholy, we can’t enable social media to additional hurt their bodily well being and psychological wellbeing,” mentioned AG Healey in an announcement. “State attorneys normal have an crucial to guard younger folks and search extra details about how corporations like TikTok are influencing their every day lives.”