TikTok strengthens safety features to protect younger users

TikTok has strengthened its app experience through another safety update, this time to protect the younger members of its community. The update brings better and tighter privacy settings for children’s accounts, limiting users that can interact with them on the app.

Users can no longer download videos created by accounts under the age of 16. These videos can no longer also be used as part of the app’s Duet and Stitch features. Only the friends of users aged 13 to 15 will be able to leave comments on their videos. For accounts held by users aged 16 to 18, only friends will be able to use their videos for Duets and Stitching, by default.

Hosting live streams on the app will be restricted to accounts of users aged 16 and above. TikTok also restricts buying, sending, and receiving of virtual gifts to users aged 18 and up.

These new features supplement the current safety features of the app which include Family Pairing, Screen Time Management, and Restricted Viewing Mode.