TikTok is adding a new feature for parents that will make sure their kids’ accounts (below 16 years old) are closely monitored and even allowing them to disable direct messages, and restrict their content viewing as well. TikTok is calling it Family Pairing, through which parents get the chance to link their kid’s account with their own, letting them monitor their activities this way. This feature will be rolling out in the coming weeks.
“Family Pairing, which allows parents and teens to customize their safety settings based on individual needs. Family Pairing enhances our suite of safety tools and complements our work to provide greater access to product features as users reach key milestones for digital literacy,” as mentioned by TikTok in this blog post.
The addition of the feature has become a necessity for the platform, especially since anybody above the age of 13 years is allowed to sign up for an account on TikTok. This is why the ByteDance-owned platform has decided toautomatically disable direct Messaging for all users under 16 years. In terms of the other features added, TikTok said that with screen time management, parents can control how much time their kids can spend on TikTok each day. TikTok claims it has even made videos that offer a suggestion to take a break and do something offline, like read a book.
Restricted mode ensures parents canLimit the appearance of content that may not be appropriate for their kids, TikTok said in this post. But more importantly, TikTok says that having better control over direct message will make sure the parents can keep the kids away from strangers if needed. “Only approved followers can message each other, and we don’t allow images or videos to be sent in messages,” TikTok added.
TikTok has been a big hit with users across all age groups, and it has been downloaded in millions in India over the past few weeks according to various industry data reports. This popularity has become a bain for TikTok, and it is looking at various efforts to change its image in various parts of the world.