TikTok Changes User Settings for Under-16s

POPULAR video sharing platform TikTok has changed its settings for users aged under 16 in an effort to make the app safer for its growing young audiences.

Under new settings, the TikTok accounts of users aged under 16 will automatically have the option of allowing other users to follow them or view their content. Comments will also be tightened, with only the friends of young teen users able to respond to videos if given the approval of the user.
It will also be impossible to download videos posted by users aged under 16, and for those between 16-17, the download feature will be set to “Off” by default though can be changed by the account owner themselves.
“We want to encourage our younger users to actively engage in their online privacy journey, and by doing so early we hope to inspire them to take an active role and make informed decisions about their online privacy,” said TikTok in a statement. The Chinese app, on which users share short videos often featuring music and dancing, has become the social media of choice for new generations of smartphone users across the globe.
Of its estimated 850 million users, 100 million are based in Europe. In August the company announced plans to build its first European data centre in the Republic of Ireland as part of a €420m investment.

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