TikTok has announced new parental control features aimed at limiting screen time for teenagers as concerns grow over the app's impact on adolescent mental health.
The Chinese-owned social media giant said the new tools, set for immediate launch in the EU and later in the US, will allow parents to set daily time limits or designate specific time windows for their teens to use TikTok. The update follows similar measures introduced by Instagram, which is owned by Meta.
Once activated, TikTok’s "Time Away" feature cannot be bypassed without the parent disabling it from their own account. In the coming weeks, additional controls will allow parents to see whom their children follow, who follows them, and who they have blocked.
For users under 16, the platform will also introduce a nighttime "Meditation" feature after 10pm, offering relaxation exercises accompanied by calming music. However, this function can be turned off by the teen.
The changes come as TikTok faces increasing scrutiny across the EU and beyond over its influence on young users and its potential role in election interference. In France, lawmakers are expected to launch an inquiry this week into the app’s psychological effects on children, while Albania is reportedly planning to ban TikTok for at least a year following a deadly brawl between teenagers linked to an online dispute.
Defending its content moderation efforts, TikTok told journalists in Paris on Tuesday that it employs over 6,000 moderators dedicated to monitoring content in European languages.
"That’s more than all the other platforms put together," a spokesperson said.
Between July and September, TikTok removed more than 24 million accounts suspected to belong to users under the age of 13. The company also claims to remove over 95% of inappropriate content within 24 hours and 90% before it has been viewed
Source: AFP
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