TikTok is a creative social media app that became available worldwide in 2018. It is mostly used for creating and watching short video clips (up to 10 minutes, but usually much shorter), the app also contains live streaming videos. Its popularity is constantly on the rise, especially among teenagers: in 2021, TikTok passed 1 billion users to become one of the most popular social media apps.
In their Guardian’s Guide TikTok has made it clear that only users over 13 are allowed to use the full version of the app, while younger children should only use TikTok for Younger Users. “If we learn that a person under the age of 13 is using or posting content on TikTok without using TikTok for Younger Users, they will be removed,” the Guide adds. The restricted version of TikTok for young users should offer additional protection to children, since it only lets them use the app as passive viewers: they cannot share their own videos, comment or message other users, or even create their own profile and gain subscribers.
When it comes to age restricted content, however, the situation is not yet fully resolved. In 2022, Engadget shared an article claiming that TikTok is only now testing features that would prevent young users from seeing inappropriate content. According to Tracy Elizabeth, TikTok’s global issue policy lead, the app aims to provide a more detailed ranking of videos: “We know that there’s family-ish content, there’s teen-ish content, there’s adult-ish content. What we’d like to do is … say ‘here you go: you can pick for yourself what is that category that you feel most comfortable with.’” She also explained that parents should be able to adjust the settings of their children’s accounts through TikTok’s Family Pairing, which was introduced in 2020. As for now, parents should thoroughly consider whether they will let their children use TikTok – and even if the answer is yes, it remains important to observe what type of content your child consumes on the app, as there is no guarantee that TikTok can adjust its suggested videos to the user’s age.
In its Guide, TikTok explains that the amount of data they collect may depend on the location of the user: “Some of our features may only be available in certain markets, since we develop products to meet the needs of different communities. As a result, we may collect more or less information in a market depending on the features available there.” TikTok can collect a variety of data from its users, including their personal data, search and viewing history on the app, and also payment information. TikTok allegedly stores their data in the US and Singapore, and they encrypt the collected digital information. However, since TikTok does not have end-to-end encryption that would protect private or personal direct messages, it is advisable for children (and all users) to use other messaging apps for communication.
In past years, TikTok’s treatment of data has been a hot issue. In 2021, an investigation by TechCrunch revealed that American TikTok had started collecting biometric data, such as voiceprints and faceprints, even though citizens of some states may have not been informed about such changes in the app’s Privacy Policy. During Trump’s presidency, there were also attempts to ban the app due to worries regarding its Chinese parent company ByteDance – TikTok, however, responded by stating that none of the data they collect is sent to China, and they proceeded to sue the US government. The lawsuit was dismissed after the commencement of Biden’s presidency. TikTok was further accused of selling its users’ data to advertisers and even though it denied the assertion, the app paid almost 100 million dollars to settle the lawsuit. In the end, it seems that the potential danger that the app poses to your children is similar to any other social media – which means that while there is no need for excessive fear of the app, your children should remain careful about what they share there.
Read more: Teaching children about the basics of online safety
Be aware that apart from risks related to digital security, there are also some potential psychological dangers. TikTok can be accessed by online predators and cyber-bullies, and the content shared on the app can sometimes be untruthful, scammy, or inappropriate for your child. When it comes to these problems, TikTok appears to be failing to solve them quickly and effectively – for instance, the issue of online sexual abusers on the app continues to remain unresolved, and while TikTok claims that they try to protect their users from cyber-bullying, their measures to achieve such protection may be ineffective, and may include unexplained removal of videos created by minority users. As a result, the protection of your children also depends on your own shielding methods.
In order to feel safe on TikTok, users should know how to modify the app to their liking. Your teenage child can keep their accounts private, letting only their subscribers see the content they create. Users under 16 will actually have their accounts set as private by default, but they can choose to share their videos publicly if they wish to do so. TikTok also encourages their users to come up with strong passwords and use a 2-step verification, which can easily be turned on in the app’s settings. Your child should also know how to react to inappropriate content, comments, or accounts. Whenever your kid encounters a video they do not enjoy, they can let the app know their preferences by long-pressing the video and clicking on “Not Interested.” Moreover, users can also report a video, a comment or an account when they find it inappropriate for the app, and they can block users from whom they want no contact or content.
Read more: 5 benefits of TikTok
If you decide to let your child use TikTok, talk to them about online safety, data protection and internet behaviour. Let your children share their TikTok experience with you, if they are willing to, and set up some boundaries according to your judgement. You can explore the app together and use it as a time of bonding with your child while also keeping an eye on what they consume on the app. If you want to further protect your child’s online safety, be it on TikTok or other platforms, try ESET Parental Control solution.
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