A CONSORTIUM of United States states announced a joint investigation into TikTok’s possible harms to young users of the platform, which has boomed in popularity especially among children.

US officials have launched their own probes and suits against Big Tech giants as the national government has failed to pass new regulations due in part to partisan gridlock.

The consortium of eight states will look into the harms TikTok can cause to its young users and what the company knows about those possible harms, said a statement from California Attorney-General (AG) Rob Bonta.

Leading the investigation are AGs from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.

The investigation focuses on TikTok’s techniques to boost young user engagement, including efforts to increase the frequency and duration of children’s use, among other things.

“We do not know what social media companies know about these harms and when,” said Bonta in a statement.

“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.”

TikTok’s short-form videos have boomed in popularity with the youngest users, prompting growing concern from parents over the potential their children can develop unhealthy use habits or be exposed to harmful content.

Series of probes and suits

The platform welcomed the investigation as a chance to provide information on its efforts to protect users.

“We care deeply about building an experience that helps protect and support the well-being of our community,” said TikTok in a statement.

“We look forward to providing information on the many safety and privacy protections we have for teens.”

Social media’s impact on young users came under renewed scrutiny last year, when Facebook whistle-blower Frances Haugen leaked a trove of internal company documents raising questions over whether it had prioritised growth over user safety.

The documents were given to lawmakers, a consortium of journalists and US regulators by Haugen, who is now a figurehead of criticism of the platform.

Despite the rush of media attention on the issue and hearings before US lawmakers, no new rules have drawn close to being enacted on the national level.

States have instead proceeded with their own efforts to look into Big Tech giants, but also suits seeking to force the firms to make changes on matters such as privacy protection.

For example, some US states announced a joint investigation in November of Instagram’s parent company Meta for promoting the app to children despite allegedly knowing its potential for harm.

The consortium of AGs – states’ top law enforcers and legal advisers – included some of the same states as the probe yesterday, like California and Florida.

Instagram sparked fierce criticism for its plans to make a version of the photo-sharing app for younger users, but later halted development. – AFP, March 3, 2022.