TikTok will age-restrict some videos from teens’ feeds

Again in February, TikTok mentioned it was engaged on new methods to sure kinds of content material in an effort to ramp up its security options for teenagers. Now, the corporate is sharing extra about its score system, known as , which it plans to roll out “within the coming weeks.”

The corporate has in contrast its method to the scores techniques utilized by the film and online game trade. It’s meant to filter out movies with extra “mature” themes from the feeds of its teen customers. It is going to apply to movies that wouldn’t in any other case break TikTok’s guidelines however could also be inappropriate for youthful customers of the app.

With the change, when teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 encounter a video that accommodates “mature or advanced themes,” they’ll as an alternative see a discover that the video is age restricted. “Once we detect {that a} video accommodates mature or advanced themes, for instance, fictional scenes that could be too scary or intense for youthful audiences, a maturity rating can be allotted to the video to assist stop these below 18 from viewing it throughout the TikTok expertise,” TikTok explains in a weblog submit.

The corporate didn’t share how it could decide these maturity scores, or what standards it could use to categorise its movies. TikTok famous that the function remains to be an “early model” and that they plan so as to add extra capabilities sooner or later. Firm executives have additionally they need TikTok customers to have the ability to select what kind of content material they’re comfy with.

Within the meantime, the app can be including a brand new approach to filter out undesirable subjects from their “For You” web page. The replace, additionally anticipated within the coming weeks, will allow customers to mute sure phrases or hashtags they now not want to see movies about.

TikTok additionally supplied an replace on its work to keep away from doubtlessly problematic in its For You suggestions. The corporate beforehand mentioned it was testing methods to keep away from overloading folks with plenty of content material about subjects that may be doubtlessly troubling, like psychological well being or consuming issues. Now, TikTok says these early checks have been profitable, and that customers in the US are much less more likely to see many movies about these subjects without delay. TikTok is now engaged on making the function out there in additional nations and languages.