Los Angeles, California - A nationwide investigation will explore the risks that TikTok poses to children, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday.

The investigation will look at how the company has sought to increase the time and frequency with which young people use its app. There are also question around the extent to which TikTok is aware of any harm it may be causing those users and whether it's violating consumer protection laws in the process.

"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," Bonta said in a statement.

"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," he added.

TikTok's mix of video entertainment and social media made it a hit among many Americans, especially young ones, during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, it became the most downloaded app in the world by some metrics.

Recently, the company announced an update to its Community Guidelines to strengthen its rules around challenges, as well as promoting eating disorders and hateful ideologies.

Bonta's office said that the investigation is being led by attorneys general from eight states, including California, who are joined by additional attorneys general from other states.