Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
TikTok Plans to Set Default Time Limits for Users Under 18
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
March 1, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

TikTok said Wednesday that every account held by a user under the age of 18 will have a default 60-minute daily screen time limit in the coming weeks. The changes arrive during a period in which there are growing concerns among different governments about the app’s security.

Families have struggled with limiting the amount of time their children spend on the Chinese-owned video sharing app.

Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok said in a blog post Wednesday that when the 60-minute limit is reached, minors will be prompted to enter a passcode receive a passcode and make an “active decision” to keep watching. For accounts where the user is under the age of 13, a parent or guardian will have to set or enter an existing passcode to allow 30 minutes of extra viewing time once the initial 60-minute limit is reached.

TikTok said it came up with the 60-minute threshold by consulting academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.

There have long been concerns about what minors are exposed to on social media and the potential harm it might do. A report released late last year suggested that TikTok’s algorithms are promoting videos about self-harm and eating disorders to vulnerable teens.

Social media algorithms work by identifying topics and content of interest to a user, who is then sent more of the same as a way to maximize their time on the site. But social media critics say the same algorithms that promote content about a particular sports team, hobby or dance craze can send users down a rabbit hole of harmful content.

Opt Out Available

TikTok also said Wednesday that it will also begin prompting teens to set a daily screen time limit if they opt out of the 60-minute default. The company will send weekly inbox notifications to teen accounts with a screen time recap.

Some of TikTok’s existing safety features for teen accounts include having accounts set to private by default for those between the ages of 13 and 15 and providing direct messaging availability only to those accounts where the user is 16 or older.

TikTok announced a number of changes for all users, including the ability to set customized screen time limits for each day of the week and allowing users to set a schedule to mute notifications. The company is also launching a sleep reminder to help people plan when they want to be offline at night. For the sleep feature, users will be able to set a time and when the time arrives, a pop-up will remind the user that it’s time to log off.

Outside of exorbitant use by some minors, there are growing concern about the app around the world. The European Parliament, the European Commission and the EU Council have banned TikTok from being installed on official devices.

That follows similar actions taken by the U.S. federal government, Congress and more than half of the 50 U.S. states. Canada has also banned it from government devices.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

DON'T MISS

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

DON'T MISS

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

DON'T MISS

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

DON'T MISS

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

DON'T MISS

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

DON'T MISS

Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond

DON'T MISS

Stay Cool, Fresno!

UP NEXT

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash Workers Remain Contractors Due to California Supreme Court Ruling

UP NEXT

Video Game Performers Will Go on Strike Over Artificial Intelligence Concerns

UP NEXT

Stock Market Today: A Widespread Rally on Wall Street Sends Stocks Rising, Both Big and Small

UP NEXT

Spicy Dispute Over the Origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Winds up in Court

UP NEXT

Child Online Safety Bill Scales Senate Hurdle, but Fate Remains Uncertain

UP NEXT

Bill Burr Headlines a Fresno Weekend of Comedy and Tribute Bands

UP NEXT

Fresno Staffing Company Must Pay $500K in EEOC Sexual Harassment Settlement

UP NEXT

US Economic Growth Increased Last Quarter to a Healthy 2.8% Annual Rate

UP NEXT

Meta’s Oversight Board Says Deepfake Policies Need Update and Response to Explicit Image Fell Short

UP NEXT

Stock Market Today: A Wipeout on Wall Street Sends the S&P 500 Down by 2.3% as Big Tech Skids

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

7 hours ago

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

8 hours ago

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

8 hours ago

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

8 hours ago

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

9 hours ago

Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond

9 hours ago

Stay Cool, Fresno!

9 hours ago

Warner Bros. Discovery Sues NBA for Not Accepting Its Matching Offer

9 hours ago

Tanker Plane Crash Kills Firefighting Pilot in Oregon as Western Wildfires Spread

10 hours ago

Will Bonta Election Lawsuit Reverse the Will of Fresno County Voters?

10 hours ago

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

The arch of colorful balloons over the doorway of a storefront on Shaw Avenue in Clovis was a clue that something exciting was happening on ...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

7 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

7 hours ago

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

7 hours ago

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

8 hours ago

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

8 hours ago

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

8 hours ago

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

9 hours ago

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend