Accused of harming the mental health of children, TikTok is the subject of an investigation into its algorithms and methods of marketing to young people, a procedure launched by American authorities who are struggling to respond to the societal challenges posed by the networks. social.
A coalition of eight US states, including California and Florida, announced on Wednesday the launch of an investigation into the very popular application, known for its short, musical or parody videos, skillfully selected by algorithms according to user tastes. .
The authorities accuse TikTok, a subsidiary of the Chinese group ByteDance, of encouraging children to spend more and more time there. In the United States, TikTok is accessible to those under 13 as long as they use a version modified for them.
“Our children are growing up in the age of social media — and many feel the need to test themselves against these filtered versions of reality that they see on their screens,” Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, said in a statement.
“We know this has devastating effects on the mental health and well-being of children. But we don’t know what the companies themselves knew and since when,” he added.
Psychological damage
This investigation follows that carried out by many public prosecutors on Meta, the parent company of Facebook.
They blame the social media giant for promoting Instagram to younger audiences and ignoring internal reports about the suffering the app can cause, according to documents revealed in the fall by whistleblower Frances Haugen .
Their own research “shows that the use of Instagram is associated with increased risks of harm to the physical and mental health of young people, including depression, eating disorders and even suicide”, had underlined the prosecutor at the time. Massachusetts General Maura Healey.
“Meta has failed to protect young people on its platforms and has instead chosen to ignore and in some cases even reinforce practices that pose a real threat to physical and mental health — thereby exploiting children for make a profit,” she said.
TikTok reacted to news of the investigation by promising to “provide information about the many privacy and safety mechanisms we have for teens,” a spokesperson said.
“We are very concerned about building an experience that supports the well-being of our community, and we appreciate the Attorneys General’s focus on the safety of younger users.”
“Same number” as Meta
US states want to examine the “techniques used by TikTok to encourage young people” to spend more time there, react to content and interact with creators, they said in a statement mentioning California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.
This is to “protect children and support parents,” said Vermont Attorney General Thomas Donovan.
In September, Instagram suspended the development of its version intended for children under 13, but in general, the remonstrances and accusations from elected officials and prosecutors had little tangible impact on the companies concerned.
Although the American authorities have hardened their stance in recent years against the major platforms which have accumulated immense economic and political power, they lack concrete and rapid solutions, given the delays in the courts or the constraints to pass new laws.
“I don’t think TikTok has much to worry about,” commented analyst Carolina Milanesi, of Creative Strategies.
“They will have to do the same number as Meta, that is to say detail their functionalities for security”, but “this will not have any effect on uses”.
“Instagram explained that it does not create the content, it is the young people who put it online and watch it. Of course, but they still have a responsibility in terms of content management, and that’s where it all gets blurry,” she concluded.