Users aged 13-15 will not receive push notifications after 21:00, while users aged 16 and 17 will not receive push notifications after 22:00.
The video-sharing software claims that this will help individuals focus on work, study, leisure, and sleep.
It’s also modifying the default settings, requiring 16- and 17-year-olds to opt in to receive direct messages.
Privacy settings
“We aim to assist our younger users build great digital habits from a young age,” TikTok said.
TikTok has previously said that direct texting was only available to those aged 16 and up.
Direct messaging will now be set to “no one” by default for 16 and 17-year-olds, implying that “to communicate others, they will need to consciously switch to a different sharing option.”
The next time they send a message, existing users will be asked to verify and confirm their privacy settings.
Additionally, before kids can post their first TikTok, under-16s will now be asked to choose who will be able to see their videos, according to the company:
- their followers
- only friends
- just themselves
Andy Burrows, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Youngsters’s head of online child safety, praised the new measures, saying TikTok was demonstrating “industry leadership” and that the move would minimize possibilities for criminals to recruit children.
However, he cited regulation as the driving force for several internet firms’ recent announcements of additional safety features.
Google, for example, announced modifications to its YouTube Kids program as well as measures to eliminate photos of children from image search results.
Meanwhile, Apple is launching new ways to detect child sexual abuse content and to notify parents if their children receive or send sexually explicit content.
“The Age Appropriate Design Code, which goes into effect next month, has sparked a flurry of safety announcements, demonstrating the good influence regulation has on children’s safety,” Mr Burrows added.
