Attorneys general from the states of California, Florida and Kentucky in the USA joined forces to investigate the potential effect of the social network TikTok on the mental and physical health of young people. The objective of the study is to determine whether the way in which the company “designs, operates and markets its platform has a negative effect on the health of children, adolescents and young adults.”

The group of prosecutors is focusing the investigation on the methods and techniques used by the social network. The algorithm used by TikTok allows establishing the type of content that is exposed to users “and is very effective in keeping them interested”

The representatives of the company have explained on other occasions the operation of the social network. However, prosecutors want to delve into the methods and techniques used to “boost the participation of its users, as well as the length of time they usually spend on the platform.”

TikTok’s reaction to the lawsuits

It is not the first time that the social network has faced an investigation or lawsuit. In 2019 the company had to pay 5.7 million dollars to the FTC to solve the accusations that its “predecessor: Musical.ly.” A platform that was denounced because it did not have the necessary permissions from “the parents of young children who had signed up to use the app.”

Additionally, that agreement intended that TikTok also limit the way in which users “under the age of 13 interact with the content of the application”. Recently, another group of researchers expressed concern about the “few studies that had been carried out on the possible impact of the platform on mental health.”

Ben Rathe, a spokesman for the social network TikTok, expressed his opinion about the investigation being carried out by the attorneys general and indicated that his company “appreciates that the state attorneys general focus on the safety of younger users.” And he noted that the company hopes to provide all the “information about the many security and privacy protections they have for teens.”

The prosecutors’ investigation has other companies responsible for other social networks on the lookout because both Meta and Snapchat are modeling inspiration on TikTok in order to improve or develop their applications.

M. Rodríguez

Source: tekcrispy.com

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