TikTok has announced a set of new features aimed at strengthening parental controls and improving the user experience on its hugely popular short-form video platform. The update comes as European politicians consider restricting or even banning children and young teenagers from social media platforms.
The centrepiece of the changes is an enhanced Family Pairing tool, which allows parents to link accounts with their children to create a safer online environment. Parents will now receive notifications when their child posts publicly, review privacy settings such as download permissions, and hide specific accounts from their child’s feed.
Starting in Europe, TikTok will also give parents the ability to block their children from seeing certain accounts entirely. “We heard from parents that they know best what content is suitable for their teen,” said Suzy Loftus, head of trust and safety for TikTok US data security.
Alongside parental controls, TikTok is adding wellbeing tools to encourage healthier online habits. These include “missions” that reward users with badges and resources for completing tasks related to screen-time limits and mental health awareness, all housed in a new in-app wellbeing module.
For creators, a new Creator Care Mode will filter out offensive comments automatically, and live streamers will be able to mute specific words, phrases, and emojis in real time.
To tackle misinformation, TikTok is testing a Footnotes feature in the US, allowing users to add sources and context beneath videos. The updates will roll out globally in the coming months.
