TikTok strengthens privacy and safety settings for youth

TikTok has announced that it will be changing the default privacy setting for all registered accounts of users aged 13-15 years old to private.

With a private TikTok account, only someone who the user approves as a follower can view their videos. In addition to this, TikTok also announced changes for users under age 18 aimed at driving higher default standards for user privacy and safety.

Here are some of the changes that TikTok is rolling out to promote a safe experience for younger users:

Tightening the options for commenting on videos created by those ages 13-15. These users can now choose between Friends or No One for their account; the Everyone comment setting is being removed.
Changing Duet and Stitch settings to now make these features available on content created by users age 16 and over only. For users ages 16-17, the default setting for Duet and Stitch will now be set to Friends.
Allowing downloads of videos that have been created by users 16 and over only. Other users can decide whether they want to allow downloads of their videos, though for users ages 16-17 the default setting will now be changed to Off unless they decide to enable it.
Setting "Suggest your account to others" to Off by default for users ages 13-15.

Adjusting TikTok's default account settings to support stronger user privacy is a meaningful step in our ongoing commitment to keeping our younger users safe.

These changes build on previous updates made to promote youth safety, including:

Restricting direct messaging and hosting live streams to accounts 16 and over.
Restricting the buying, sending, and receiving of virtual gifts to users 18 and over.
Enabling parents and caregivers to set guardrails on their teen’s TikTok experience through our Family Pairing features.

For more privacy and safety information, go to the TikTok Safety Center.