With the “Family safety mode”, Tiktok has launched its own set of parental control features. These features enable parents to limit their kid’s Tiktok mobile app usage.
Also, to ensure the digital wellbeing of kids, these features include- limits on direct messages, screen-time control tools, and a restricted mode that filters the inappropriate content.
Furthermore, Tiktok allows any parent with a Tiktok account to connect to their child’s account to access these features. Currently, it is launched only in Uk.
But across the globe, parents are waiting for full deployment of parental features, to ensure their child’s online safety. Let’s see how these features work.
A Glance To Tiktok’s Parental Features
Time Management and Restricted Mode
To enable this feature, a parent can go to Tiktok’s Privacy And Safety. Under Digital well-being, you can find “Screen Time Management” and” Restricted Mode.”
Parents can set a 4-digit passcode to manage kids’ screen time and to block mature or inappropriate content.
However, it’s not clear how the restricted mode works. Tiktok doesn’t explain how the filtering process will work for restricted mode. Also, it may be possible that the feature may not provide foolproof filtering and protection, as the app on this scale, witnesses a huge number of inappropriate videos.
Make The Tiktok Account “Private”
Switching the account to “private” can prevent strangers from contacting your children.
From the top right corner go to the Privacy and settings, and switch the account to Private.
Change The Search Results
- Switch off the toggle “allow others to find me” to keep away the strangers from your child’s account.
- When you enable this, your child’s account will no longer show up in any search results.
Prevent Your Personalized Data
- To add another layer of security, you should opt-out of -“Personalized and Data”.It prevents users’ data from being stored.
Change A Few Default Settings
- For “who can post comments”, “Who can duet with you”, “Who can react to your video”the default setting is-“Everyone.”
- But switching the default setting from “Everyone” to “Friends” will help the child to keep secure and his videos will never invite any strangers.
Not to mention that some of these features were already available in the app previously. Users can set them for themselves but the new Family Safety Mode makes parents/guardians in charge of teen’s Tik Tok activities.
Also, this mode prevents the settings from being changed without the parent’s consent.
To avoid the COPPA Violations and to achieve the smooth run of the app in the UK(previously, Tiktok has been under investigation of the UK’s Information Commissioner’s office for violation of children’s social data), Tik Tok designed the new features with European laws in mind.
Not to miss that, the first availability of parental control features in the UK is a strategic move of the Tiktok. After the easy operation of these tools in the UK, Tiktok will roll out these features across the countries.
Furthermore, with the launch of Tiktok’s parental control features, the app partnered with a few brilliant video creators to create a series of safety videos. These videos are available under the title of TikTok Tips.
The primary aim of these videos is to encourage users to use screen time tools to stay safe from the addictive nature of the TikTok app, and to influence parents to use parental control features of TikTok.
