TikTok tests age-rating content restrictions

TikTok, which has seen a sharp rise in popularity among teenagers in recent years , said it was conducting a small-scale test to see how adult-rated content could be restricted from accounts belonging to younger users, either by users or their parents and guardians.

The company, owned by tech giant ByteDance Inc, said it was borrowing from the type of content ratings standards already used for movies and games. It said it would test a way for creators on the app to specify whether they want their content to be viewed only by older audiences.

Social media platforms have been under scrutiny over their handling of the welfare and safety of young users. Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been rebuked by U.S. lawmakers over its plans to launch a kids version of Instagram.

Last year, a coalition of state attorneys general investigated Meta for promoting Instagram to children despite potential harms, after leaked internal documents raised questions about research on Instagram’s impact on the mental health of teenage users.

TikTok , which has also been criticized for posts promoting eating disorders and has stood by its ban on such content, said in a blog post on Tuesday that it would also begin removing posts promoting broader eating disorder content.

"We understand that people can struggle with unhealthy eating patterns and behaviors without having an eating disorder diagnosis," it said in a blog post. "Our aim is to acknowledge more symptoms, such as excessive exercise or short-term fasting, which are often signs of underlying issues that are under-recognized."

As more and more young people flock to social media, relevant supervisory and legislative bodies will have stricter supervision over such programs. It will be the responsibility of companies to protect the mental health of young users and provide them with correct guidance.

TikTok

Social Media

age