TikTok is rolling out a brand new function to encourage teenagers to cease utilizing the app at night time. If a teen beneath 16 remains to be utilizing the app after 10PM, TikTok will interrupt their feed with a full-screen “wind down” reminder, which can play “calming music to assist teenagers chill out and be conscious of the time.”
It should show one other reminder that’s more durable to dismiss if teenagers ignore the primary one. TikTok plans on increasing this wind-down function sooner or later, because it’s going to begin testing incorporating treatment workout routines into the reminder “within the coming weeks.”
TikTok is making some updates to its Household Pairing function as properly, which already lets dad and mom put restrictions on their youngster’s account. It’s launching a brand new Time Away function that may permit dad and mom or caregivers to stop their youngster from happening TikTok throughout particular occasions, in addition to set a recurring schedule. TikTok may even give dad and mom the flexibility to see who their teen is following, who follows them, and which accounts their youngster has blocked.
Moreover, TikTok says it should proceed to make use of age assurance know-how, together with machine studying, to stop youngsters beneath 13 from utilizing the app. It’s partnering with the telecom firm Telefonica “to know how folks can use age info from their telephone supplier to verify their age.” Google additionally not too long ago introduced that it will begin utilizing machine studying to estimate customers’ ages.
The launch of those new options comes as lawmakers proceed to dwelling in on on-line youngster security. Earlier this month, Utah grew to become the primary state to go a legislation to require app retailer operators, like Google and Apple, to confirm customers’ ages when downloading an app. Different state legal guidelines have emerged that may block youngsters from accessing social media, however a lot of them have been blocked by courts.