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· Posted on
February 21, 2024

TikTok adds more privacy protections for minors

TikTok has introduced a few new features to protect minors, and also make the app less addictive (good luck). 

What's the key learning?

  • TikTok has around 1.1 billion users worldwide - and a lot of them are teens.
  • It's introduced new features to protect minors, and also make the app less addictive.
  • It comes as Chinese regulators crack down on big tech companies over data security, privacy and anti-trust issues.
  • There’s also a broader industry shift towards catering for younger users, who are more vulnerable to cyber bullying, body image issues and too much screen time.

TikTok is the $250 billion social media app where users can lip-sync to tunes and funny vids. It’s got a massive 1.1 billion users worldwide, and a LOT of them are in their teens. In fact, nearly a third of US users are under 14. 

TikTok has introduced a few new features to protect minors, and also make the app less addictive (good luck). 

Under 16s will only be able to show videos to followers or friends, and they won’t get any push notifications from the app after 9pm. 16 to 17s will stop getting notifications from 10pm too. They’ll start again at 8am the next day.

So what's the key learning?

TikTok is reading the room. Chinese regulators are cracking down on big tech companies left, right and centre over data security, privacy and anti-trust issues - and they don't want to get caught in the cross fire.

So, TikTok have decided to be proactive and address these issues...before regulators do it for them.

But it's not just about user security. There’s also a broader industry shift towards catering for younger users, after concerns that this cohort is developing body image issues, copping cyber abuse and having too much screen time.


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