back to article TikTok under investigation in US over harms to children

Reports that ByteDance-owned social media platform TikTok is harmful to children are under investigation by a number of US attorneys general. The investigation was announced on Wednesday by a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general including those for California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cesspit media

    Not suitable for adults, let alone kids.

    1. Plest Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Cesspit media

      99.9% of it yes, like everything there's always some good stuff out there but most of it is just time wasting drivel designed to line the pockets of sponsors and kill the brain cells of the viewers.

      Hoping TikTok is like MySpace and Facebook, just a generational thing and will go the same way as MySpace and Facebook, around for a few years then slowly fade to nothing as its relavance ends and everyone on it grows up and moves on.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    At the risk of...

    being accused of 'whataboutism'... What about Facebook and WhatsApp?

    IMHO, they all need to be closed down and the operators put on trial at the Hague after being charged with multiple crimes against humanity.

    Life without parole for Zuck would do nicely.

    1. deadlockvictim

      Re: At the risk of...

      You are perfectly right.

      The dealers are on this street warn you about the product that the dealers are on the other street are supplying. Apparently it's bad for you.

      How about taking a look at Instagram, Snapchat & Facebook?

      Or is this more about getting at China?

      1. bombastic bob Silver badge
        Big Brother

        Re: At the risk of...

        I do not see how you got "getting at China" out of what he said.

        Besides, we do not want our children's online profiles [via various tracking methods] stored in a database in China anyway.

        And if they're targeting videos (instead of ads), there MUST be a database SOMEWHERE to use for their targeting algorithm.

        (And if it's in China, a "social credit score" to go along with it)

        Agreed on FaeceBan, Tw[a,i]tter, InstaCram, CrapChat, and all the rest of 'em. We can just START with TikTok. [anti-]Social Media needs to be liable for lawsuits over a great many things, instead of BEING PROTECTED FROM THEM. (maybe THOSE laws should be CHANGED)

        [I am at a loss for a proper 'hacker name' for TikTok. Maybe TskTsk but that sounds kinda lame in my headl]

        Also, worthy of note: Parents need to keep their kids off of anti-social media as a condition of getting their nice cell phones; If they cannot do it, let them have dumb phones instead with prepaid minutes for emergency use only [like what I do for myself, heh]. And similar for their computers. And so on.

        1. TimMaher Silver badge
          Headmaster

          Re: Tik Tok

          Perhaps some quote from “Repent Harlequin said the Tick Tock man”? Who was then late himself.

      2. Geez Money

        Re: At the risk of...

        > How about taking a look at Instagram, Snapchat & Facebook?

        I love that you didn't even get as far as the article's subtitle before coming in here to yell ism.

  3. codejunky Silver badge
    Holmes

    Funny

    "Dangers associated with TikTok go beyond just internet addiction and depression, critics say, users on the site have been known to promote misinformation and extremist indoctrination."

    I am guessing this is the bit that concerns them most. Especially after recent US events. Cant let people discuss, they must be told what to think. Thats why we have fool proof fact checking like facebook has. Are we at war with Eurasia or have we never been at war with them? Cant keep up.

  4. ChrisElvidge

    It's the algorithm?

    "The concern is that the algorithm,

    which determines what content others see,

    sends users, youths in particular,

    down an addictive and harmful rabbit hole."

    Well, just ban any and all algorithms directing content.

    Let people find content for themselves.

    1. GrooveCat

      Re: It's the algorithm?

      Let people find content for themselves? these days people expect information to be spoon fed to them.

      finding out for themselves, sounds to much like hard work!

      The main issue is, children do not have the wisdom to understand what they are watching is harmful or not.

      The press have a code of conduct, so you can call them out then they publish something harmful/slanderous. We require that sort of oversight here....

  5. dafe

    I don't know, but

    I remember that showing ads to children was already a huge issue with YouTube. Is Biden demanding a law that already exists?

    Does TikTok even show ads to children?

    Or is "think of the children" just an excuse for something else? (If so, it is certainly not "personal responsibility".)

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Childcatcher

      Re: I don't know, but

      is "think of the children" just an excuse for something else?

      yes

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Trust America to want to dumb down everyone to the lowest common level.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Everyone was already dumbed down to the lowest common level, then TikTok came along and lowered the bar.

  7. MachDiamond Silver badge

    Did all of the parents in the US die?

    The safety of children starts with their parents. A bunch of Attorney's General conducting an "investigation" is a waste of time and money. Many of the attorneys I have come in contact with aren't very technically literate to start with. It's just a crusade that's going to be used to show how much they care as they run for elected office.

    I'm an old fashioned misanthrope that wouldn't be handing my children a phone or other device with unlimited service. I wouldn't even let them take their phones to their rooms with them at night.

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