TikTok mulls restricting content by age to protect younger users

08 February 2022 - 14:08 By Elizabeth Culliford
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TikTok is running a small test on how adult-rated content could be restricted from accounts belonging to younger users, either by the user or their parents and guardians. Stock image.
TikTok is running a small test on how adult-rated content could be restricted from accounts belonging to younger users, either by the user or their parents and guardians. Stock image.
Image: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

TikTok is working on ways to rate and restrict content by age to prevent adult content reaching teenage users of its short video app, the company said at a news briefing.

TikTok, which has exploded in popularity among teens in recent years, said it was running a small test on how adult-rated content could be restricted from accounts belonging to younger users, either by the user or their parents and guardians.

The company, owned by Chinese tech titan ByteDance, said it was drawing on the types of content-rating standards already used for movies and gaming. It said it would test a way for creators on the app to specify if they want their content to only be viewed by older audiences.

Social media platforms have been under scrutiny over their approaches to the wellbeing and safety of younger users.

Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been blasted by US lawmakers over its plan to introduce a version of Instagram for children.

Last year, a coalition of US state attorneys general opened an investigation into Meta for promoting Instagram to children despite potential harms, after leaked internal documents raised questions about company research into Instagram’s effects on the mental health of teen users.

TikTok, which has been criticised for posts promoting eating disorders but maintained it bans such content, said in a blog post on Tuesday it would also start to remove posts promoting broader disordered eating content.

“We understand people can struggle with unhealthy eating patterns and behaviour without having an eating disorder diagnosis,” it said.

“Our aim is to acknowledge more symptoms, such as over-exercise or short-term fasting, that are frequently under-recognised signs of a potential problem.”

Reuters


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