06:56 AM EST, 12/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Reddit ( RDDT ) and Meta's (META) Instagram are among fifteen companies being investigated in Texas over privacy and safety practices concerning minors, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Thursday.

The probe was launched pursuant to the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment, or SCOPE Act, and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, or TDPSA.

The SCOPE Act prohibits digital service providers from sharing, disclosing, or selling minors' personal identifying information without parental consent, while the TDPSA imposes stringent notice and consent requirements on companies handling minors' data, the Attorney General said. The laws also govern minors' interactions with artificial intelligence products, according to the statement.

Other tech platforms that are being investigated include Discord and Character.AI.

Reddit ( RDDT ) and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment from MT Newswires.