TikTok sets limit for teenagers: They can’t spend more than 60 minutes a day on platform

TikTok has introduced restriction for teenagers. It will take effect in the coming weeks, and users under the age of 18 will be not able to spend more than 60 minutes a day on this platform.

As reported by The Verge, if a teenage user reaches this limit, they will be prompted to enter a password to view the content next. True, you can turn it off in the settings, but if a teenager does this and spends more than 100 minutes a day on TikTok, the service will suggest a new limit.

In addition, teen users of TikTok will receive weekly notifications about how much time they've spent on this app, so they can better monitor their time on it.

According to the platform, during a month of testing these notifications, the rate of use of time management tools on TikTok increased by 234%.

TikTok experts consulted with academic researchers and experts from Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital to determine what restrictions should apply to teens. However, as Cormac Keenan, Head of Trust and Safety at TikTok, points out, there is currently no generally accepted position on how much screen time can be considered excessive.

A 60-minute limit for children under the age of 13 will also be introduced for users of the TikTok for Younger Users app. The parent or guardian must set or enter the passcode already set for the child to continue using the app for another 30 minutes.

New features have also been added to Family Pairing, a customizable parental control feature that enables a parent or guardian to link their TikTok account to a child's account. A parent or guardian will be able to set many restrictions manually, depending on what day of the week they want to set, for example.

A parent or guardian will be able to see how much time their child has spent on TikTok during the day and how often they have opened the app. In addition, the service no longer sends push notifications to users aged 13-15 after 9 p.m. and to users aged 16-17 after 10 p.m.

TikTok is also developing new content control elements that will enable parents to filter videos by keywords and hashtags and limit children's access to inappropriate material.

To note, in the UK, YouTube is accused of illegally collecting data of children under 13 years old. If the charge is proven, the company faces a fine of 4% of annual revenue. At the same time, YouTube has repeatedly stated that its service is not intended for children under the age of 13. The company has a separate YouTube Kids app for them, but it also requires parental consent to use it.