World’s popular social media platform TikTok has begun rolling out new features designed to enforce more safety and protection for its teenage user base.
These new enforcement policies and features will also make borderline or “suggestive” content ineligible for recommendation into TikTok For You feeds. Let us get to know each of the added features a little bit better.
The first enforcement policy is all about implementing policies on sexually suggestive content. For users under the age of 13, TikTok has guidelines around content categories not eligible for recommendation. These include sensual content, implied nudity, and related content that are not suitable.
The social media platform said they continue enhancing the technology that detects these kinds of posts.
The second policy is about innovating content levels. Last year, TikTok debuted its Content Levels system, designed to prevent certain content with more mature or complex themes – including content with profanity and adult innuendo, as well as sexually suggestive content – from reaching users between ages 13 to 17.
The added steps to that system have helped prevent teenagers from viewing more than a million overtly sexually aggressive videos in the last 30 days.
The third enforcement policy is on automation. TikTok has invested in machine learning models to step up its accuracy and consistency in detecting borderline, suggestive, and sexually explicit content.
“We’re making progress to reduce the prevalence of borderline or suggestive content recommendations overall, and are now launching the next iteration of our borderline suggestive model which we expect to improve detection of such content, therefore creating a more appropriate and comfortable experience for teen account holders,” TikTok stated in an official statement.
The fourth is on partnerships. TikTok recently tied up with StopNCII.org, or “Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse,” joining forces with Bumble and Meta to beef up efforts so they, together, can stop the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery.
This collaboration is expected to provide better support for victims and help prevent content identified through this partnership from being posted on the social media platform.
The last new enforcement policy is giving back the power to the creators. Also last year, audience controls were launched as a way for creators to restrict their content to accounts over 18 years old in LIVE.
This Audience controls feature has started rolling out to creators of short-form video and will expand globally over the coming weeks as the New Year started.
“Our goal has always been to make sure our community, especially teens on our platform, have a safe, positive and joyful experience when they come to TikTok,” TikTok further said.
