Platform implements global changes to protect adolescent mental health and increases user age verification
TikTok has announced that it will restrict the use of beauty filters by teenagers, in a move to protect young people’s mental health. The announcement was made during a security forum at the company’s European headquarters in Dublin, on Tuesday (26.Nov.2024).
The new policy prohibits people under 18 from accessing filters that artificially alter facial features. Features that promote unrealistic aesthetic changes, like Bold Glamour, will be blocked. The measure seeks to combat problems of anxiety and low self-esteem, following reports of young people dissatisfied with their natural appearance.
The platform will also strengthen age verification, preventing children under 13 from creating accounts. The company will test automated systems to detect and block access by minors, which could result in the deletion of thousands of accounts in the UK. Currently, 20 million accounts are removed globally every quarter for violating the minimum age policy.
“We hope this will allow us to detect and remove [contas irregulares] faster”said Chloe Setter, child safety public policy lead at TikTok. She added that there will be an appeals process for incorrectly blocked users.
The changes come amid the implementation of stricter regulations on the use of social media by minors in the UK, through the Online Safety Act. , the British communications regulator, has already expressed concerns about the effectiveness of TikTok’s age restrictions and plans to enforce age limits more strictly next summer.
