Even with the uncertainty surrounding TikTok‘s ban, the platform is still trying to address safety concerns with a new reminder that urges teens to stop using the app at night, as well as increased monitoring for parents. If a teenager under 16 continues to use the app after 10 p.m., TikTok will interrupt their feed with a full-screen “wind down” reminder that will play “soothing music to help teens relax and be mindful of the time.”
TikTok is also updating its Family Pairings feature, which already allows parents to place restrictions on their child’s account. It is launching a new Time Away feature that will allow parents or guardians to prohibit their child from logging into TikTok at certain times, as well as set a recurring schedule. TikTok will also give parents the ability to see who their teenager is following, who is following them, and which accounts their child has blocked.
While teens may ignore TikTok’s first reminder at 10 p.m., it will show another that will be harder to ignore. TikTok plans to expand this minimization feature in the future, as it is going to start testing the inclusion of meditation exercises in reminders “in the coming weeks.”
In addition, TikTok says it will continue to use age detection technology, including machine learning, to prevent children under 13 from using the app. The company is working with telecommunications company Telefonica “to understand how people can use age information from their phone provider to verify their age.” Google also recently announced that it will start using machine learning to estimate the age of users.
