TikTok is launching new options designed to limit the amount of time adolescents spend on the programme. With an upgrade, the business claims it will automatically set a daily screen usage limit of 60 minutes for kids under the age of 18.
Teens will still be able to circumvent the daily restriction, but they will be prompted to input a password, “requiring them to make an active decision to prolong that time,” according to the firm. Furthermore, if adolescents choose to disable the screen time limit entirely, TikTok will urge them to establish a limit if they spend more than 100 minutes in the app.
The business is also introducing additional parental control capabilities through the app’s “Family Pairing” function, which allows parents to track their children’s TikTok behaviour. Parents will be able to establish their own specific screen time restrictions and access a dashboard with facts about their child’s time in the app, such as how frequently they open it and what times of day they use it the most. Parents may also opt to limit subjects that they don’t want to see in their For You feeds and create a timetable for when their children can get notifications.
The change comes as politicians in the United States resume their efforts to outright outlaw TikTok. In addition to national security concerns, Congress has chastised the firm for failing to adequately secure its youngest users.
