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Austin Knudsen launches investigation into popular social media app TikTok – Daily Montanan

['Keith Schubert', 'More From Author', '- February']

Date: 2022-02-28 00:00:00

Montana is investigating the popular social media app TikTok over concerns the company may be violating state consumer protection laws by not adequately warning users about potential product risks.

As part of the investigation into whether the company is violating the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act, Attorney General Austin Knudsen submitted nearly 100 requests for information to the company over concerns ranging from bad actors using the app for human trafficking to its impact on teenagers who may have mental health disorders.

“TikTok is certainly an application that should raise concerns for parents in Montana and everywhere,” Knudsen told Fox News on Monday. “It’s a Chinese-owned company and I think clearly the Chinese don’t have America’s best interests at heart.”

The 44-page investigation asked for a trove of documents and data from the company, including information on TikTok’s third-party data tracking; corporate policies and procedures surrounding how the company’s U.S. entity shares data with its Chinese corporate family; and censorship of political viewpoints. The AG’s office is expecting a response by March 28.

“Montana is happy to take the lead at looking into potential violations of state law by this Chinese social media Goliath to help parents keep their children safe online and crackdown on platforms which potentially misrepresent their safety features for financial gain,” Knudsen said in a press release announcing the investigation.

In the release, Knudsen’s office outlines a number of concerns stemming from media reports on the company. Chief among them is young children accessing explicit content on the app.

“While communicating to the public that its platform is safe for children, (TikTok) allows those who state their age to be as young as 13 to create profiles but does not differentiate between these children and adults when promoting content through its algorithm,” the investigation said.

Because of the lack of differentiation, Knudsen said the app allows kids to access content containing drugs, alcohol and nudity. And, because of the way the app works, the AG’s office said users can be pushed toward more dangerous content.

“For example, users seeking diet content received ‘full-blown eating disorder promotion in less than 24 hours,'” the release said, citing an article from The Guardian.

The investigation also highlighted local examples of concerns with the app.

“Dangerous trends and threats on TikTok have caused vandalism in schools and have forced Montana schools to increase security and even close to avoid the risk of harm to students,” the investigation stated referring to a KULR 8 report. And in December, some Montana schools closed due to threats posted on the app, according to a Montana Standard report.

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