TikTok will automatically control screen time for users under the age of 18. This change comes as the company is facing closer scrutiny from regulators.
According to CNBC, TikTok said on March 1 that it will automatically limit the time to use the application to 60 minutes for all users under the age of 18. When this time limit is reached, users under 18 will be prompted to enter a passcode to continue watching videos on TikTok, as the company wants users to “make proactive decisions” more soberly, rather than passively. watch continuously for hours.
Teens will be able to opt out of the feature if they want, but the app will prompt them to set a usage limit if they spend “more than 100 minutes on TikTok in a day”. Additionally, TikTok also introduced the option to mute scheduled notifications, a feature that has been rolled out to varying degrees for users ages 13 to 17.
TikTok’s new move comes as the company is under increasing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers, particularly over the privacy and safety of children on the platform. According to research from Pew Research Center in August 2022, about 67% of US teenagers have used TikTok, with 16% of teens saying they have used the app “constantly”.
According to a press release, TikTok said it is working to increase outreach to parents as part of an ongoing effort to “bring joy and play an active role in how people express themselves.” “. “Every teen is different, and so is every family. That’s why we’re focused on reaching parents, giving them the information they need about TikTok,” said the head of the trust. and safety of TikTok Cormac Keenan said.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee later this month, as the company faces both a national security investigation and increased scrutiny. after a series of controversies, including revelations that TikTok employees spied on two journalists and accessed the private data of US users.
It is known that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is under investigation by the Commission on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) over concerns related to national security. The investigation has been ongoing for years, since ByteDance’s acquisition of Musical.ly in 2017, but has been accelerating both in scope and outside scrutiny in recent months.