WASHINGTON - TikTok and its possible harmful effects on the mental health of children and teenager users are being investigated by a bipartisan group of U.S.
state attorneys general from coast to coast — the latest issue for the wildly popular video-sharing app.A nationwide probe was announced Wednesday by a number of states, led by officials from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.
Officials plan to investigate if using TikTok is harmful to children and teenagers and if the company is violating state consumer protection laws in promoting its platform to young people.The announcement came amid widening scrutiny of the video-sharing app, which is particularly popular among teens and younger children and is estimated to have 1 billion monthly users.
U.S. lawmakers and federal regulators have criticized TikTok for its computer-driven algorithms, saying it pushes video content that can endanger the physical and mental health of young users.