TikTok Announces New Age Limits for Live-Streaming, ‘Adults-Only' Category for Streams
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Loading... - Martina Pino
- 18 Oct 2022
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TikTok has announced that it’s increasing the minimum age requirement for live-streaming in the app, while it’s also adding a new ‘adults-only’ live-stream category, as well as new keyword filtering options for live comments.
In combination, the new updates could play a big role in improving the safety of its live-stream offering. First, on the new age limits for live-streaming in the app.
As per TikTok:
“Currently, people must be aged 16 or over to host a LIVE. From November 23rd, the minimum age will increase from 16 to 18. As we consider the breadth of our global audience, we already take a graduated approach to the features that our community can access based on their age; younger teens need to be aged 16 or older to access Direct Messaging and 18 or older to send virtual gifts or access monetization features.”
This is good move. TikTok has already come under much scrutiny over the ways in which it incentivizes young people to post provocative, potentially risky material to grab the attention of viewers. Live-streaming takes this to another level, as people can interact with the broadcaster in real-time, which potentially puts teens even more at risk.
As TikTok notes, over time, it’s been forced to reassess its various features and tools to ensure that teens are not unwittingly putting themselves at risk in the app. This update is the latest step in this, and it’s good to see TikTok working to take a more measured approach on this element, even at the risk of losing a level of user engagement as a result.
In addition to this, TikTok’s also launching a new option that will enable broadcasters to restrict their live streams to ‘adult audiences’. Read More...
