How to use the TikTok parental controls that most teens don't even know about
TikTok is no stranger to controversy, and has been steadily developing increased family-friendly settings to give concerned parents greater oversight and control over what their teens see. The latest development is a significant update, but not everybody is going to be happy about it.
TikTok no stranger to security fears
TikTok has been in the news a lot lately, with the UK banning it from government phones and certain US states forbidding it outright, due to fears around cybersecurity and hacking. ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of the Gen-Z blockbuster app, has always denied that its product poses a security risk to the many countries that it is used in around the world, but these assurances have not done much to allay fears.
But governments aren't the only ones with concerns around TikTok. The app is incredibly popular with Gen-Z'ers, born between 1997 and 2012, many of whom are minors, and whose parents are alarmed at the degree of influence the social media app can weild on their children.
How Family Pairing can improve safety for teens and children
Over the years, TikTok has developed a suite of tools to help parents regain some confidence about their children's use of the app. Most of the controls are activated via the Family Pairing functionality, which allows parents to connect their children's account to their own, and control certain settings remotely. For example, parents can disable direct messages, restrict screen time, and turn on Restricted mode which is designed to filter out certain adult content. TikTok also automatically restricts applies staggered content restrictions for children in age brackets from <13, 13-15, and 16-17. However, these restrictions are based on the age that the account holder voluntarily submits, which means it is easy for users to circumvent.
Parents can now restrict certain videos in TikTok
The latest update to the Family Pairing functionality allows parents to filter out specific videos on their children's accounts, via keywords.
When developing the latest update, TikTok "engaged with experts, including the Family Online Safety Institute, on how to strike a balance between enabling families to choose the best experience for their needs while also ensuring we respect young people's rights to participate in the online world," the social media giant wrote in a blog post.
The app has chosen to allow children to see the keywords that their parents have decided to filter out, which they say is important for transparency and trust within families. Whether this will also lead to more family arguments as parents and teens dispute what constitutes appropriate conduct, remains to be seen...
How to set up video filtering in Family Pairing
Setting up video filtering in Family Pairing is easy, with these following steps:
To add video keyword filters:
1. In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
2. Tap the Menu button at the top.
3. Tap Settings and privacy.
4. Tap Content Preferences, then tap Filter video keywords.
5. Tap Add keywords and enter a word or hashtag you'd like to filter.
6. Select the feeds you'd like to filter from.
7. Tap Save to confirm.
Note: You can add up to 100 keywords.
To filter hashtags directly from a video in the For You or Following feed:
1. In the TikTok app, press and hold on the video, or tap the Share button on the side, and tap Not interested.
2. Tap Details to display a list of hashtags found on the video.
3. Select the hashtags you'd like to filter.
4. Tap Submit to confirm.
Note: This option is not available on ads.
To delete or edit filtered keywords:
1. In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
2. Tap the Menu button at the top.
3. Tap Settings and privacy.
4. Tap Content Preferences, then tap Filter video keywords.
5. Tap the Delete button next to any keywords you'd like to remove.
6. Tap Delete to confirm.