SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A nationwide investigation will look into social media app TikTok and its use in association with physical and mental harms to youth, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced in a press release Wednesday.

The investigation will determine whether or not young users’ health is harmed by the app and TikTok knowing about those harms.

Bonta and other attorney generals across the nation will also look into the strategies TikTok used to boost young user engagement and increase the amount of time they are using the app.

The TikTok investigation will be a bipartisan one with attorneys general from states such as Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont, the release said.

“Our children are growing up in the age of social media – and many feel like they need to measure up to the filtered versions of reality that they see on their screens,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We know this takes a devastating toll on children’s mental health and well-being. But we don’t know what social media companies knew about these harms and when. Our nationwide investigation will allow us to get much-needed answers and determine if TikTok is violating the law in promoting its platform to young Californians.” 

California Attorney General Bonta

Last November, Bonta launched an investigation against Meta saying that it knew its app, Instagram, had a negative impact on young adults and children and still promoted Instagram anyway.

Earlier in 2021, Meta had plans to launch a version of Instagram designed for users 13 and under, according to the release.

However, Bonta and 43 other attorney generals urged Meta to stop those plans — with the help of a bipartisan coalition “Protecting Kids Online: Facebook, Instagram, and Mental Health Harms.”

Meta then announced in September it would halt developments of the new platform.