This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
TikTok Safety Simplified with 5 Easy Tips ¶
As of June 10, 2020, TikTok has implemented various safety features to ensure users feel comfortable and safe while expressing themselves on the platform.
Before accessing TikTok, an age-gate measure is available at the sign-up stage to ensure only users aged 13 years and older can gain access to the platform. This is also referred to in the Terms of Service.
Once you have successfully signed up, your TikTok account is set to public automatically, which means anyone can view or comment on your videos. However, you can limit interactions and decide who can comment, like, or message you on TikTok by setting your account to private. This means when someone wants to follow you, you’ll need to approve them as a follower before they can see your content.
Additionally, you can also ‘block a user’ so they won’t be able to interact with you at all.
Parents are advised to work together with their teens to find the best interaction preference to ensure great user experience while on TikTok.
TikTok’s Screen Time Management function can be found in the privacy and settings options under the section ‘Digital Wellbeing’. This feature lets you set a daily time limit and once the time is used up, a password needs to be entered to continue using the app.
Parents should help teens set up a password to ensure time spent on TikTok is monitored. This will be a reminder that the time spent online has been used up.
It’s good to note that even with private settings, your profile photo, user name, and bio are available to all TikTok users. Sharing personal information like your phone number, or your home or email address can heighten the risk of identity theft, spam, and compromise your general safety.
Family Pairing is a functionality that allows parents and teens to customise their safety settings based on individual needs. This will allow a parent to link their TikTok account to their teen’s and set controls including Screen Time Management, Restricted Mode, and Direct Messages.
