Coalition of US States Launches Probe of TikTok Over Harms to Children

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The popular video-sharing app TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, is now the subject of a probe by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general who are concerned about the effects of the app on children and teens.

The attorneys general of California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Vermont are spearheading the investigation.

โ€œThe investigation will look into the harms such usage causes to young users and what TikTok knew about those harms. The investigation focuses, among other things, on the techniques utilized by TikTok to boost young user engagement, including increasing the duration of time spent on the platform and frequency of engagement with the platform,โ€ Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, a Republican, said in a March 2 statement.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, said in a statement: โ€œAs children and teens already grapple with issues of anxiety, social pressure, and depression, we cannot allow social media to further harm their physical health and mental wellbeing. State attorneys general have an imperative to protect young people and seek more information about how companies like TikTok are influencing their daily lives.โ€

TikTok said in a statement that itโ€™s โ€œfocused on the safety of younger usersโ€ and limits features by age.

โ€œWe look forward to providing information on the many safety and privacy protections we have for teens,โ€ the statement reads.

The company said in early February that it was working on ways to rate and restrict content by age in order to prevent adult content from reaching teenage users of its short-video app.

Even before the announcement of the probe on March 2, TikTok had been the target of a number of separate actions in the United States and abroad over data security and privacy concerns.

Legislation has been introduced in both houses of Congress to ban the app from government devices because of national security risks, while the Commerce Department is considering a rule change that would expand federal oversight of foreign-owned apps to those that could be used โ€œby foreign adversaries to steal or otherwise obtain data.โ€

Byย Michael Washburn

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

Attorney General Peterson Joins Nationwide Investigation into TikTok

Attorneys General Concerned for Safety and Well-Being of Childrenย ย 

Lincoln โ€“ย Today, Attorney General Doug Peterson co-led a nationwide investigation into TikTok for providing and promoting its social media platform to children and young adults whileย use is associated with physical and mental health harms. Attorneys General nationwideย are examining whether the company violated state consumer protection laws that put the public at risk.

ย Attorney General Peterson has long expressed concern about the negative impacts of social media platforms on Nebraskaโ€™s youngest residents.ย ย The investigation will look into the harms such usage causes to young users and what TikTok knew about those harms. The investigation focuses, among other things, on the techniques utilized by TikTok to boost young user engagement, including increasing the duration of time spent on the platform and frequency of engagement with the platform.

In May 2021, a bipartisan coalition of 44 Attorneys General urged Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under 13. In November 2021, Attorneys General from across the country announced their investigation into Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, for providing and promoting its social media platform, Instagram, to kids.

Leading the investigation is a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont. They are joined by a broad group of Attorneys General from across the country.ย 

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Why Illinois Needs Trump NOW!

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson told President Trump โ€œDonโ€™t come to Chicago!โ€ to reduce crime or to help clean up the trash in the city.

Donald Trumpโ€™s Appointments Are Being Obstructed

Donald Trump is the only President in history that has had recess appointments blocked by his own party!

Trump Flag-Burning Ban: Unconstitutional, Un-American, and Trifling

Trump signed an EO to criminalize the burning of the American flag โ€” the right to do which having already been adjudicated by the highest court in the land.

Using True Facts of History to Determine What is Right and What is Wrong

The amount of time separating a human act from a truthful description of it is not as important as the veracity of historians bringing it to light.

The Very British Stalemate: British Politics Explained for Americans

The assumption in the minds of American commentators, politicians, and analysts is that the UK has "gone to the dogs" with "woke" political ideology.

Tehran Told European Powers Sanctions Would Have Consequences: Iranian Official

Iranian spokesman said delegation from Tehran told negotiators from UK, France, and Germany that triggering sanctions would have consequences.

Judge Accused of Helping Illegal Immigrant Evade Arrest Loses Bid to Drop Charges

Judge in Wisconsin turned down Milwaukee County Judge Duganโ€™s bid to dismiss her case, clearing way for a trial on charges she obstructed immigration officers.

19 Shot at Catholic Church in Minnesota: Officials

Two children were killed and 17 other people were injured at a Catholic church and school in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, officials said.

Federal Government Will Take Over DCโ€™s Union Station

Federal officials will take over the management of Washingtonโ€™s Union Station, which Amtrak now runs.

Trumpโ€™s 50 Percent Tariff on India Takes Effect

President Trumpโ€™s additional 25% tariff on India became effective at midnight on Aug. 27, bringing the total rate to 50% on many imports entering the US.

RFK Jr. Says HHS Will Disclose Causes of Autism in September

During a cabinet meeting Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to announce the causes of autism by September.

OMB Head: Trump Admin Eliminating 30 Old Regulations for Each New One

The Trump administration has repealed 30 regulations for each new regulation, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced.

FDA Ramps Up Inspections of Shrimp Amid Radioactive Contamination Reports, RFK Jr. Confirms

Health Sec RFK, Jr. said federal health authorities are looking at imported shrimp after FDA issued warnings after potentially radioactive shrimp.
spot_img

Related Articles