TikTok's New Age Check: A Step Towards Safer Teen Use?

TikTok is rolling out a new age verification process in Europe to ensure compliance with EU privacy laws and to keep children under 13 off the platform.

How It Works

• Age Estimation: The app will use various clues, including user posts and behavior, to estimate if a user might be under 13.
• Manual Review: If the app suspects a user is too young, a human reviewer will assess the account and decide whether to remove it.
• Challenging the Decision: Users can contest the decision by providing:
• Government ID
• Credit card
• Facial age estimation

TikTok assures that the information collected for age verification will only be used for this purpose.

Additional Protections for Teens

Even after passing the age check, TikTok will implement additional safeguards for teens:

• Content Filtering: Inappropriate content will be filtered out.
• Feature Limitations:
• Users under 16 cannot send direct messages.
• Users under 18 have a 60-minute screen time limit and will not receive notifications after bedtime.

Global Context

This announcement comes amidst global discussions on teen social media use:

• Australia: Bans under-16s from using social media.
• Britain: The Prime Minister is considering a similar ban, expressing concerns about excessive smartphone use among children.

Both tech companies and governments are actively seeking solutions to ensure teen safety online.