American research on the impact of TikTok on children

Prosecutors from eight different US states are investigating social media platform TikTok. The extent to which the Chinese platform adversely affects users is under investigation. The app is popular among kids.

This makes the United States Attorney for Massachusetts known† The research should, among other things, provide insight into the extent to which the design of TikTok features causes or amplifies physical or mental problems for users.

TikTok points out in a response that it does a lot to ensure the well-being of its users. The company is committed to sharing information about the security and privacy measures it takes for teens.

Previously sentenced in the Netherlands

The social media platform has been under fire for some time, also in the Netherlands. For example, the Dutch data protection authority last year fined TikTok €750,000 for violating children’s privacy. The regulator pointed out, among other things, that TikTok provides users with information in English, which is not always easy for the target group to understand.

In addition, research is also being conducted on TikTok in a European context. This investigation is being conducted by the Irish Privacy Regulator. Among other things, an investigation is underway to find out if TikTok is doing enough to ban users under the age of thirteen from its platform.