Announces Inquiry into the Impact of Dictok on Children by States States – International

A coalition of eight U.S. states, including California and Florida, announced Wednesday that it will launch an investigation into popular site TikTok, accusing it of harming children by encouraging them to spend more time on social media.

Authorities in the United States have compiled their own evidence and lawsuits against technology companies as the federal government has been unable to enact new regulations due to a discriminatory stalemate.

California Attorney General Rob Ponda said in a statement that an eight-state panel will examine how much the company is aware of the harm Dictoc may cause to its younger users and its potential harm.

The inquiry focuses, among other things, on TikTok’s techniques for attracting younger users, including the site’s efforts to increase the frequency of minors and the length of the shelter on the social network.

“We don’t know what social media companies know about this damage when they find out about it,” Ponda said.

“Our national investigation will allow young Californians to obtain much-needed responses and determine whether TikTok violates the law by advertising its site,” he concluded.

As a short video site that has become popular among younger users, TikTok has raised concerns among parents about the negative potential in their children’s development.

The site said it saw the investigation as an opportunity to provide information about its efforts to protect users.

“We are deeply concerned with creating an experience that will help protect and support the well-being of our community,” TikTok said in a statement.

“We look forward to providing information on the many privacy and security protections we have for young people,” he added.

The study comes as another team of lawyers is conducting an investigation into Facebook’s parent company, Meta, which has been accused of promoting Instagram among young people.