Similar to apps such as Twitter and Instagram, much of TikTok’s platform is guided by what’s trending Lavalife, and hashtags that allow users to find content.
How Safe is TikTok?
Using any social network can be risky, but it’s possible for kids to safely use the app with adult supervision (and a private account). When you sign up for TikTok, your account is public by default, meaning anyone can see your videos, send you direct messages, and use your location information. Parents should make sure to turn on all privacy settings for accounts kids are using, so only people you know can interact with your videos or message you on the app. That means either opting for a private account or changing the settings for comments, duets, reactions, and messages to Friends instead of Everyone. You can also turn those features off completely.
What Are the Dangers of TikTok?
As the social media platform has grown, there have of course been concerns about the dangers of TikTok. The overwhelming majority of TikTok users are identified as Gen Z , between the ages of 14 to 24 years old. Because of this, many parents feel a responsibility to understand the dangers of inappropriate content on TikTok and to teach their children to be safe and aware online. According to TikTok’s community guidelines, the video sharing app is deeply committed to child safety and has zero tolerance for behaviour that could lead to child abuse or sexual exploitation. In , TikTok announced a new set of parental controls , called Family Safety Mode. TikTok’s Family Safety Mode is designed to let parents set limits on their children’s use of the social media app. The parental control features include limits on direct messages, screen-time management, and a restricted mode’ that limits the appearance of inappropriate content. The restricted mode on TikTok allows an active user to switch to a private account you can approve (or deny) new follower requests. A private TikTok account only allows an active user you’ve approved to see your content. By default, your TikTok account starts as public. This allows TikTok to share your videos, other users post comments, reactions, or create short video duets with the content you’ve created.
In 2020, ByteDance made a $12 Billion deal to sell the subsidiary TikTok Global to Oracle and Walmart in the US.
Why Was TikTok Almost Banned?
The TikTok app is the first Chinese app to gain massive popularity in the United States. This huge growth in popularity led to concerns that the data collected by ByteDance was being stored by the Chinese government.
In , the U.S. military banned TikTok from government-issued phones. In , there was a growing concern from U.S. President Donald Trump that the Chinese Government was gathering user data that could potentially threaten the national security of the United States.
The President then signed an executive order that would potentially ban TikTok if the Chinese app was not sold by ByteDance to a US company with 45 days. Trump also then signed a similar order against the WeChat application which is owned by the Chinese company Tencent.
The Trump administration then issued a new executive giving ByteDance 90 days to sell or spin off ownership of the U.S. TikTok business. Initially Microsoft was in the running with an offer of $50 Billion to take ownership of the US TikTok business.
In , ByteDance made a tentative $12 Billion deal to create a US subsidiary called TikTok Global. This new TikTok subsidiary would be part-owned by the US companies Oracle and Walmart. With the new deal in place, Oracle and Walmart will own 20% of the new company, ByteDance says will still own 80%.