(KERO) — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a nationwide investigation Wednesday into TikTok.
The investigation will center on the social media platform's catering to children and young adults while its use is allegedly harmful to their physical and mental health well being.
Attorneys general nationwide are looking into whether the company is violating consumer protection laws and putting children at risk.
“Our children are growing up in the age of social media, and many feel like they need to measure up to the filtered versions of reality that they see on their screens,” said Bonta, in a statement.
“We know this takes a devastating toll on children's mental health and well-being. But we don't know what social media companies knew about these harms and when. Our nationwide investigation will allow us to get much-needed answers and determine if TikTok is violating the law in promoting its platform to young Californians.”
The investigation will look into whether TikTok is causing harm among young users and if TikTok was aware of it. It will also examine techniques allegedly used by TikTok to boost young user engagement, including strategies or efforts to increase the length of time spent on the platform and how often users engage with other users.
