TikTok has made new changes to its privacy settings today to its app which is aimed to provide a much safer experience with the app for younger users. As per the new changes in the app, the accounts created for users between the age of 13 to 15, will be marked as private and not public by default. Apart from keeping the account private, the company will be tightening up the controls for all the users under 18 as well. These changes will not only affect the way younger users interact on the app with other users but also how they provide and view content on the app.
The company is also announcing a partnership with a non-profit company called Common Sense Network, which is an education and advocacy group that helps parents and educators navigate today’s media landscape, including children’s use of technology. It will help TikTok in getting more guidance on the appropriateness of its content for users under 13. The changes have been brought to TikTok as a result of %5.7 million fine that the company had to pay to the Federal Trade Commission for violating U.S. children’s privacy laws.
The earlier version of TikTok called ByteDance was also known to collect personal information for children under 13 years without the consent of the parents. With the new changes, the company will change the “Suggest your account to others” settings to off. Also, the video for the users will only be seen by the followers and their accounts will not be recommended to others. The changes also aim at limiting the interaction of the children with such a digital platform to make sure that they only get to interact with age-appropriate content.