In September 2016, the Chinese technology firm ByteDance created the TikTok application. It is an iOS and Android media application for creating and sharing short videos. The application allows users to create short music videos of 3–15 seconds and long videos of 30–60 seconds. It also offers the possibility of adding musical backgrounds, sound effects and filters or visual effects. It is the leading video platform in Asia, the United States and other parts of the world.
A study by security provider Check Point reveals that the mobile app TikTok, which allows video sharing, could have privacy risks. The reason is that no security mechanisms were adopted in the code. Data breaches is a threat faced by tech companies, while users do not take responsibility for their care.
This application has been created for the general public but it is true that lately TikTok is beginning to be downloaded on teenage mobiles. The operation is simple and the app is very fun, but we have to be careful because like other platforms it is not without danger. The minimum age to download and use TikTok is 13 years, although it is known that minors under 12 and 10 also use it. From this derives one of the main problems and that is that the application is a magnet for bullies. Therefore it is very important that parents have full access to the application when their children use it.
When publishing a video there is no filter and any user can send a message to the author who made it. Something that is very suggestive for pedophiles.
Standards update
A few days ago, TikTok issued a statement in which it announced a radical change in the way it treats the privacy of minors. From now on, all user accounts between 13 and 15 years old will automatically change their settings so that they are private by default. Having the account privately, only those people who have been approved as followers by the user will be able to see the published videos. TikTok will make younger users aware of the importance of privacy, allowing them to make more deliberate decisions online.
TikTok, radical changes for those under 18
The biggest changes will affect users ages 13-15, whose accounts will now be private by default. The settings will apply to both new and existing tiktokers. These are the variations that the platform has made in order to promote a safer experience for its users.
- Tightening the options to comment on videos created by minors under 16 years of age. These users will now be able to choose between Friends or Nobody in the configuration of who can comment on your videos. In this way, the Everyone option is eliminated.
- Changes in Duet and Paste settings. From now on these features will only be available for content created by users over 16 years of age. For 16 and 17 year old users, the default setting for who can use these features will be set to Friends.
- The option to “allow the download of your videos” will only be available in content created by users over 16 years old. The rest of the users will be able to decide whether to allow their videos to be downloaded or not. For 16 and 17-year-old users this feature will now appear disabled by default, and they will decide to enable it.
- The option to “recommend your account to others.” This feature will be disabled by default for those users who are between 13 and 15 years old.
Default settings
TikTok ensures from its platform that adapting the default settings favors greater privacy. The changes mentioned in the previous section will be supported by the updates that the application already had, promoting security and including:
- The impossibility of using direct messages and conducting live broadcasts by users under 16 years of age.
- Restrictions on the purchase, delivery and receipt of virtual gifts for users under 18 years of age.
- The launch of the “Family Synchronization” mode, through which you can manage the experience of your underage children on TikTok.
The social network will remove content that represents violence, and will not accept cases of harassment, sexual harassment and other crimes. It is also prohibited to reveal private information of other users such as address, email, number, bank details, passport or images of a sexual nature.
According to the official Tik Tok blog, users will also notice that violations (of community standards) have been grouped into ten different categories. Each of them includes an explanation of the rationale and several detailed points to clarify what type of misbehavior would fall into that category. These changes will provide sufficient clarity on how harmful or unsafe content that is not allowed on the platform is defined.