From family pairing to screen-time limits, TikTok suggests ways to keep kids safe

The TikTok download screen is seen on the Apple Store on an iPhone, in Ottawa, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

As kids head back to school, many will be logging onto TikTok to connect with classmates or bust boredom with an endless scroll of videos.

To protect minors on the social media platform, Tara Wadhwa, TikTok's global head of regional product policy, recently showcased these settings to media at a safety session.

Sign ups

TikTok users need to be at least 13 years old in most markets to create an account. The minimum age required in Quebec is 14.

To ensure minors don't wind up with accounts for youth or on the platform when they didn't meet the minimum age, TikTok requires all users to provide a birthdate when they join.

The platform doesn't post the minimum age to open an account on the enrolment screen and if you provide a birthdate that doesn't meet the threshold, it won't let you change your answer to try to circumvent TikTok's rules.

Because "not everyone is honest about their birthdate when they sign up," Wadhwa says TikTok is always on alert for accounts believed to belong to someone under 13.

To detect users who don't meet the age limit, TikTok looks for signs in their bio or posts for clues, such as someone sharing they've celebrated their 11th birthday or are entering grade two.

In the last six months, Wadhwa said the platform has removed about six million accounts suspected to be opened by people under the age of 13.

Family pairing

When youths start a TikTok account, Wadhwa says their parents can opt into a program called family pairing.

Family pairing allows parents to link their accounts directly with their teens' and ensure their kids' TikTok settings are agreed upon as a family

Through family pairing, parents can set screen-time limits for their kids, pause notifications during bedtime hours and even decide whether their kids can receive direct messages or who can comment on their content, Wadhwa said.

Screen-time limits

Users under 18 automatically have their daily screen-time limit on TikTok set to 60 minutes. To earn an additional 30 minutes of watch time, a parent or guardian will need to set or enter an existing passcode.

Settings

Users under the age of 18 don't have the ability to use TikTok's livestream feature. Anyone under 16 has default settings that keeps them from using direct messaging.

TikTok users are also able to toggle their settings to decide who's able to view their videos, who can comment on their posts and who can direct message them, Wadhwa said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2024.