Investigation into TikTok's effects on kids and teens underway in states.

• A bipartisan group of state attorneys general is investigating TikTok to determine if the platform harms the health of its younger users.
• The state consumer-protection laws may have been violated by the app, and the AGs are investigating.
• The latest evidence of momentum behind the push for greater protections for children online is the probe.

A bipartisan group of state attorneys general is investigating TikTok to determine if its design, operations, or promotion to young users has a negative impact on their physical or mental health.

The short-form video app may have violated state consumer-protection laws, and the AGs are investigating.

During his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Joe Biden advocated for a ban on targeted advertising to children on social media, citing the probe as the latest evidence of momentum behind the push for greater protections for children online.

The former Facebook employee, Frances Haugen, who exposed the company's research on the mental health impact of its products on teenagers, was a guest at the annual address. Her testimony before Congress prompted a series of hearings with tech executives on safeguarding children on their platforms, and helped to enact new legislation that mandates stricter safeguards.

Massachusetts AG Maura Healey, a coalition leader, stated that social media poses a threat to the physical health and mental well-being of children and teens, who already face challenges such as anxiety, social pressure, and depression.

Healey's office announced that the AGs will investigate TikTok's knowledge of potential harms to young people using the app and the methods used to increase engagement, time spent in the app, and frequency of usage.

TikTok's spokesperson stated that they deeply care about creating an experience that safeguards and supports the well-being of their community, and they appreciate the state attorneys general's focus on the safety of younger users. They look forward to sharing information about the numerous safety and privacy measures they have in place for teenagers.

Attorneys general from several states, including California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont, are leading the probe.

The same group is also investigating Facebook parent for promoting Instagram to young users despite knowledge of its potential harms, while many state AGs had earlier urged the company to abandon plans to launch a kids-specific Instagram vertical, to which it has not fully committed.