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Child TikTok Safety
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TikTok age limits and online safety

Is TikTok safe for your children?

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What is TikTok? Open in new window

TikTok age limits Open in new window

Online safety on TikTok Open in new window

Monitoring your child’s usage Open in new window

FAQs Open in new window

Exploring the world of TikTok

As a parent, it’s natural to want to know what your kids are up to online. And if you have a teenager, they’ll likely spend time on apps such as TikTok.

Just like any online space, TikTok can be entertaining and educational. But it might also come with risks, so there are things to consider before letting your kids explore it.

Read on to find out more about the TikTok age limit and restrictions, plus further guidance on parental controls.

What is TikTok and how does it work?

TikTok is an online social media platform that allows users to create video content. These videos can be shared just with friends, or with the wider online community. They often follow musical and cultural trends. Videos range from vlogs and recipes to gaming, reading and beyond.

The app has been downloaded more than two billion times – which means there’s a lot of content out there. Because of the huge number of videos, the content that users find on their feed – or For You Page (FYP) – is randomised and shown to them based on their app preferences and behaviours.

Videos show up to friends and followers on their personal feeds, and are also discoverable by other users on their FYPs if the creator’s account is public.

With this in mind, TikTok can feel quite vast. This can make parental controls and managing your child’s social media intake feel a little daunting.

Main functions and features of TikTok

The main features of TikTok include:

Watching and sharing videos. TikTok reaches billions of viewers all over the world. The most-watched video in 2023 gained over 2.3 billion views.
Creating and editing videos. People can record and edit content on their own devices or on the app itself.
Going live. Similar to sites like Instagram and Facebook, TikTok allows users over the age of 18 to start a live broadcast.
Direct messaging. TikTok users can message each other through a private chat function. This function is mainly used to share videos.

Information Message

Types of content on TikTok

You can find videos on almost anything on TikTok. But some of the most popular types of content include:

Lip-syncing. Some would argue this was the ‘original’ type of TikTok content. The app itself evolved from Musically in 2018, which was originally a site dedicated to lip-syncing content.
Dance videos. A natural next step for a music-driven site. Dance trends often emerge from this type of content.
Music. Many popular musicians today rise from the TikTok ranks to find their way in the industry.
Tutorials. These range from make-up tips to cooking shows.
Educational content. You can find an answer to pretty much everything on TikTok. However, it’s recommended to always check official sources to back things up.
Art. Whether people share their paintings, poetry or latest home design projects, TikTok can find the right audience.

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TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is a marketplace that allows people and companies to sell goods through the site. It’s a potential way for small businesses to advertise their products to the TikTok community. Users can connect their account details to TikTok Shop and purchase items directly through the app.

Besides the basic shop search function, users can sell goods on TikTok by:

Creating videos to advertise their shops, and connecting specific products as clickable tags or links in their bio.
Starting live videos. These often show people selling products in real-time and interacting with customers through live chat. Some also show the creation process and allow for custom orders.
Adding products to the Showcase tab. Creators can highlight and advertise select products as showcases on their profiles.

Monitor your child’s spending on TikTok Shop with Rooster Money

Knowing when and how to trust your kids with their own money can be tricky. Every child (and parent) is different. So, it’s up to you when you think they’re ready to start shopping online.

However, for that extra peace of mind, a NatWest Rooster Card could be an option.

A Rooster Card:

Gives kids financial independence, while keeping you in control.
Allows them to pay for things both in-store and online on places like TikTok Shop.
Lets you set flexible parental controls to control how and when they spend.
Sends you notifications when they use the card.
Lets you and your kids keep track of their spending on the Rooster app.

Information Message

The Rooster Card subscription usually costs £19.99 a year or £1.99 a month. To be eligible for the free Rooster Card subscription offer you must be a NatWest bank customer, over 18, a UK resident, registered for either Mobile Banking or Online Banking with kids aged between 6 and 17. Offer includes up to three cards. Some card designs may incur a fee. Card designs subject to availability. Other fees may apply. T&Cs apply (PDF, 100KB).

Is TikTok safe for children?

No social media site may be 100% safe for children. But, used correctly, TikTok could prove safe, fun and educational for children with the right supervisions and restrictions in place.

TikTok content is vast and varied, and some things might slip through the cracks. ‘Harmful’ videos are often rapidly reported and taken down, but it’s still best to tread with caution and use parental controls.

Every social media feed is unique to the user, and algorithms can serve up content in patterns that might surprise parents.

So, it may be wise, if you let your child use TikTok, to always keep an eye on what they’re seeing.

TikTok age limits – everything you need to know

TikTok has strict age limits in place to keep younger users safe. It’s important that you follow these restrictions, as they’re in place for your children’s safety. Of course, it’s up to you how your children use the internet. But here are some age-related precautions to keep in mind.

What is the TikTok age limit?

You must be 13 years old or above to have a TikTok account. This general age restriction may differ depending on your region. If TikTok finds an account owned by somebody younger than 13, they will take it down.

There are further content restrictions put in place for people under the age of 18. For example, you must be 18 or older to start a live video. You must also be 16 years old and above to send and receive direct messages.

Avoiding underage usage of TikTok

Users aren’t asked to physically verify their age when they create an account – but they are asked to input their date of birth. It’s important that this is accurate, as TikTok actively removes and bans accounts that are reported to be owned by someone younger than 13.

It can also remove features, such as direct messaging or live video, if it finds they have been used by an account holder younger than the required ages.

If you believe an incorrect ban has been placed on you or your child’s account, you have the option to appeal. In this case, you might be asked to verify your child’s age with photo ID if they are 13 to 17 years old.

Learn more about minimum age appeals and verification on the TikTok site.

The TikTok content library consists of billions of videos on a variety of subjects. So, the age limits are there to support children.

If you’d like to learn more, read TikTok’s Youth Safety and Wellbeing Guide.

Online safety on TikTok

There are a number of ways you can ensure your child stays safe while exploring TikTok. To give yourself peace of mind, you may want to consider the following parental controls.

Privacy settings

You can choose whether an account is public or private.

Public accounts:

Are visible to all TikTok users.
Can be followed by anyone.
Can be watched, liked and shared by anyone.

Private accounts:

Can only be followed by people you approve.
Can only be viewed by followers.
Can only be watched or liked by followers.
Can’t be Dueted, Stitched or shared.

If you want to make an account private, simply:

Head to your account Profile
Go to the Menu
Click on Settings and Privacy
Go to Privacy
Switch your Private Account on or off.

Restricted Mode

Restricted Mode is a useful TikTok feature that allows you to enact some parental controls. These are fully manageable by parents and guardians. You can use the mode to ensure your child’s feed filters out videos that may be inappropriate or contain specific themes.

To turn on Restricted Mode, just:

Go to the account Profile
Click on the Menu
Click on Settings and Privacy
Go to Content Preferences, then Restricted Mode
Manage preferences, or switch Restricted Mode on or off.

Within these preferences, you can also manage video keywords. This allows you to filter out certain videos that may contain specific content.

Comment filters

You also have control over who comments on your child’s TikTok videos, as well as words that can’t be said.

You can allow:

Everyone to comment
Followers to comment
Followers you follow back to comment
No one to comment.

You can also completely turn off video comments if that’s what you’d prefer.

There are also multiple filter options available in the Settings and Privacy section on your child’s profile. For example, you can filter for spam or offensive comments, and you can also ban specific keywords from being mentioned.

Direct messages

Your child must be 16 years old to send and receive direct messages on TikTok. However, there is the option to manage who they can receive messages from. To change these settings, simply:

Go to the account Profile
Click on the Menu
Click on Settings and Privacy, then Privacy
Go to Direct Messages
Choose who can send messages to their account (everyone, suggested friends, friends, no one).

Screen time

TikTok has a handy screen time management setting where you can set daily limits. Once the limit has been hit, your child will be notified. This is automatically set to one hour for users aged between 13-17.

You can change this in an account’s profile settings. You just need to head to Settings and Privacy, and then to Screen Time.

Monitoring your child’s TikTok usage

Parents can toggle their children’s Restricted Mode preferences, screen time settings, keyword filters and more through Family Pairing. This allows you to link your account to your child’s so you can monitor their TikTok activity.

Of course, you can also physically supervise them while they explore TikTok. However, similar to our Rooster Card, Family Pairing allows you to give them their independence, while also remaining in control.

Reporting and blocking features

If you or your child come across content that you feel is not suitable for TikTok, it’s always best to report it. You can report comments, videos or entire accounts if you feel something is offensive, harmful or hateful.

Is TikTok safe for your children? – FAQs

Does TikTok have a kid-friendly version?

There is a child-friendly version of TikTok available to those under 13, but only in the US. On this version of the app, children are not allowed to post or actively search for videos. In the UK, you can use flexible features like Restricted Mode to manage the content your kids can watch and search for.

Is TikTok safe for 9-year-olds?

You need to be 13 to open a TikTok account. Parents can open their own account and show their children tailored content, but TikTok guidance is very clear on its age limit restrictions.

Should kids have TikTok?

This is up to you as their parent or guardian. Like any social media site, TikTok might not provide the right content if you don’t follow its age restrictions. However, it can be a place for kids to interact and share videos with friends. As a parent, you’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons.

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