It has been almost six months since Facebook whistle blower, Frances Haugen, made headlines sharing internal company documents showing that the company was having a negative impact on young people's mental health.
A group of state attorneys general are interested in TikTok.
In a statement shared on Wednesday, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced the launch of a nationwide investigation into TikTok in order to find out if the mobile video sharing company is promoting its social media platform to children.
As part of the investigation, state attorneys general around the country will look into whether TikTok violated consumer protections laws and put the public at risk.
TikTok gave a response to the announcement.
A TikTok spokesman said that they care deeply about building an experience that helps to protect and support the well-being of our community, and that the state attorneys general are focusing on the safety of younger users.
According to AG Healey's press release, the investigation will focus on TikTok's strategies and methods to boost engagement among its young user base. Techniques used to increase engagement and the amount of time users spend on the app are included.
Last year, documents showed that the company, now known as Meta, knew about the mental health harm its platform could cause young people. Meta scrapped plans to make a specificInstagram platform for kids as a result of these revelations.
TikTok found itself on Capitol Hill at its first Congressional hearing as members of Congress wanted to find out what was happening to young people on other platforms as well. TikTok has a user base that is younger than that ofInstagram.
Mental health issues on TikTok seem to be focused on the content on the platform. An ABC News report last year found that some TikTok trends were causing young teenage users to believe they had mental illnesses.
As children and teens grapple with issues of anxiety, social pressure, and depression, we cannot allow social media to further harm their physical health and mental wellbeing, said AG Healey in a statement.
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