{"id":25757,"date":"2021-08-15T11:41:13","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T11:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rbsitsoftwaresolution.com\/blog\/tiktok-to-add-more-privacy-protections-for-teenaged-users-limit-push-notifications.html"},"modified":"2021-08-15T11:41:13","modified_gmt":"2021-08-15T11:41:13","slug":"tiktok-to-add-more-privacy-protections-for-teenaged-users-limit-push-notifications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbsitsoftwaresolution.in\/blog\/tiktok-to-add-more-privacy-protections-for-teenaged-users-limit-push-notifications.html","title":{"rendered":"TikTok to add more privacy protections for teenaged users, limit push notifications"},"content":{"rendered":"

TikTok today becomes the latest tech company to roll out increased protections for minors on its platform in the wake of increased regulatory scrutiny. The company says it will introduce a series of product changes for teen users aged 13 to 17, aimed at making their TikTok experience more private, safer and less addictive. TikTok\u2019s news follows similar moves recently announced by other tech companies catering to teens, including Google and YouTube,<\/a> as well as Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n

The changes TikTok plans to roll out over the coming months will address in-app messaging, the public nature of users\u2019 videos, the default download settings for videos and TikTok\u2019s use of push notifications.<\/p>\n

This expands on the changes to privacy settings and defaults<\/a> for users under the age of 18 that TikTok introduced in January. At the time, TikTok debuted stricter rules for teens aged 13 to 15 and slightly more permissive settings for users 16 to 17 focused on default account types, commenting and the use of TikTok\u2019s interactive features, like Stitch and Duet.<\/p>\n

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TikTok update will change privacy settings and defaults for users under 18<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Now, TikTok says new users aged 16 to 17 will have their Direct Message setting be set to \u201cNo One\u201d by default and existing users would be prompted to review and confirm their settings the next time they use the messaging feature.<\/p>\n

The company won\u2019t prevent teens from using Direct Messages, however, but they will have to make a more explicit choice to do so.<\/p>\n

The app will also now display a pop-up message when a teen under the age of 16 publishes their first video that asks them to choose who can watch their content \u2014 either followers, friends only or only themselves. (The \u201cEveryone\u201d option is disabled.) Before, TikTok had limited<\/a> who would come across the accounts belonging to teens under the age of 16, which would reduce the visibility of their content to only followers they approved, when using the default settings. Now, it\u2019s more directly pushing teens to make a choice about how public they want their content to be \u2014 and they have to decide in order for the video to be published, TikTok notes.<\/p>\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> TikTok<\/p>\n

TikTok also said it will disable Duet and Stitch for users under 16, but this is not new \u2014 it was a part of the privacy changes that rolled out in January.<\/p>\n

Separately, teens 16 to 17 will now be asked to make a decision about whether or not their videos can be downloaded by others. While TikTok won\u2019t prevent the teens from making their content downloadable, it will pop up a box that asks them to reconfirm their choice, while reminding them that this means the videos could be shared to other platforms. (Downloads remain disabled for users 13 to 15, meanwhile.)<\/p>\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> TikTok<\/p>\n

The final change is perhaps the most interesting because it\u2019s something neither YouTube nor Instagram introduced: TikTok will limit push notifications.<\/p>\n

Younger teens ages 13 to 15 won\u2019t receive any push notifications after 9 PM, while those aged 16 to 17 won\u2019t receive any notifications after 10 PM. (The notifications resume the following morning at 8 AM).<\/p>\n

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Google to introduce increased protections for minors on its platform, including Search, YouTube and more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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This part of the update is reflective of TikTok\u2019s global mindset and its parent company\u2019s Chinese roots. Today, China is in the midst of a tech crackdown<\/a>, encompassing antitrust regulations, data security practices, tech business models and even social mores \u2014 like the addictive nature of video games, which state media equated to a drug like \u201copium.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

TikTok, too, has been called out as one of the most addictive<\/a> social apps on the market, thanks to its advanced personalization technology, interactive design and simple interface,<\/a> and psychological tricks<\/a> that activate the pleasure center of users brains. The company already inserts<\/a> \u201ctake a break\u201d videos inside its main feed, because users have been losing hours to scrolling the app. Its decision to limit notifications is yet another acknowledgment of the app\u2019s ability to lead users \u2014 and particularly younger users \u2014 to create negative digital media habits. By preventing notifications during certain hours, TikTok can point potential regulators to a feature that demonstrates it\u2019s doing something to address that problem.<\/p>\n

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The China tech crackdown continues<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The changes come at a time when there\u2019s a broader shift in the industry in terms of how tech companies cater to their younger users, as concerns about screen time, addictiveness, online abuse, data collection, privacy and more have been brought to light.<\/p>\n

In the U.S., Congress has been pressuring companies to do more to protect younger users from the more harmful and negative impacts of technology.<\/p>\n

One key piece of legislation in the works<\/a> is an update to the decades-old children\u2019s privacy law, COPPA (Children\u2019s Online Privacy Protection Act). A new bill, the Protecting the Information of our Vulnerable Children and Youth Act, would expand COPPA to include teens under the age of 18 and prevent tech companies from using targeted advertising, among other things.<\/p>\n

As a result, tech companies have been revamping their products to make teens\u2019 experience more private and they\u2019ve increased protections, including over how teens\u2019 data is collected and used by advertisers.<\/p>\n

TikTok was early to take action on protections to teens, as a result of the multimillion-dollar fine<\/a> by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for earlier violations of children\u2019s privacy laws in a crackdown by the government agency that later extended to YouTube.<\/a> Beyond the privacy changes from earlier in the year and take a break reminders, TikTok also led the market by bundling parent controls inside its app<\/a> with the Family Pairing feature. The company also offers other resources for parents, including educational safety videos<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0parental guides.<\/a> And it brought in outside experts to advise on policy creation, with the\u00a0introduction<\/a> of the TikTok Content Advisory Council.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur priority is to ensure teens on TikTok have a safe and age-appropriate experience as they create and share on our platform,\u201d said Tracy Elizabeth, TikTok\u2019s Global Minor Safety Policy Lead, in a statement about today\u2019s changes. \u201cThis announcement builds on our industry-leading efforts to make all accounts under 16 private by default, age-restrict features like direct messaging, and empower parents with Family Pairing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

TikTok told us the features will roll out globally, over time, but couldn\u2019t share a specific timeframe.<\/p>\n

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Instagram to default young teens to private accounts, restrict ads and unwanted adult contact<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Article source: http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/techcrunch\/social\/~3\/BFIwpHVRIlg\/<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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