As young people start their digital journey, TikTok believes it's important to provide them with age-appropriate privacy settings and controls. They announced changes for users under age 18 aimed at driving higher default standards for user privacy and safety.
Enhanced default privacy settings
TikTok is changing the default privacy setting for all registered accounts ages 13-15 to private. With a private TikTok account, only someone who the user approves as a follower can view their videos. They want younger users to be able to make informed choices about what and with whom they choose to share, which includes whether they want to open their account to public views. By engaging them early in their privacy journey, TikTok can enable them to make more deliberate decisions about their online privacy.
Additional changes TikTok is rolling out to promote a safe experience for our younger users include:
- Tightening the options for commenting on videos created by those ages 13-15. These users can now choose between Friends or No One for their account; the Everyone comment setting is being removed.
- Changing Duet and Stitch settings to now make these features available on content created by users age 16 and over only. For users ages 16-17, the default setting for Duet and Stitch will now be set to Friends.
- Allowing downloads of videos that have been created by users 16 and over only. Other users can decide whether they want to allow downloads of their videos, though for users ages 16-17 the default setting will now be changed to Off unless they decide to enable it.
- Setting "Suggest your account to others" to Off by default for users ages 13-15.
Adjusting TikTok's default account settings to support stronger user privacy is a meaningful step in their ongoing commitment to keeping their younger users safe.
These changes build on previous updates we've made to promote youth safety, including:
- Restricting direct messaging and hosting live streams to accounts 16 and over.
- Restricting the buying, sending, and receiving of virtual gifts to users 18 and over.
- Enabling parents and caregivers to set guardrails on their teen’s TikTok experience through our Family Pairing features.
An update on TikTok for Younger Users
In the US, TikTok accommodates users under 13 in a limited app experience, TikTok for Younger Users, which offers additional safeguards and privacy protections designed specifically for a younger audience. This experience allows users to browse a curated library of age-appropriate videos, and TikTok announced a partnership with Common Sense Networks as they continue to improve upon this experience. Through the partnership, Common Sense Networks will provide additional guidance on the appropriateness of content for children under 13 as they work to create an enjoyable and safe viewing experience.
News Source: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/
