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TikTok made safer, but not safe!

In this article, We discuss how to;

TikTok Audience is the problem, girls, kids social media, make tiktok safe
Making TikTok safer for kids is important

Make TikTok safer

  • Make TikTok a little safer
  • Simple steps to improve safety
  • Safer but not 'safe'
  • TikTok has no interest in content control
  • Even 7-year-olds know that TikTok is dodgy.
  • The only way to be safe on TikTok is not to use TikTok

Given the above, here is what we can do, to make TikTok safer. However please note and we have discussed this with TikTok. Privacy settings will not prevent a young user from seeing very inappropriate content in their feed, there is some example below.

We recommend if you see something you really don't like on TikTok, contact the local Police. Go down to the station. Report it.

Teachers will tell you bullying has moved online, a broken nose is nothing in comparison to the damage a keyboard warrior can inflict. Life online is more robust, that's simply a fact. Street angel, online devil, even to friends, spikey, emotional, abrasive, nasty and mean spirited and that's just the boys. 

Time limits are suggested. Be consistent, and always have a putaway time. 

Profile Set up

Profile setup is easy, in Tiktok, Real Name, Real Picture, 'Private' not 'Everyone'. Do not let TikTok suggest your account to others. Lock your account to the strongest setting where friends can chat, duet, have fun safely. Set your interests up carefully.

 

Frankly, this is not enough, as TikTok do not moderate, control, curate the content flowing into peoples feed.

Restricted mode within 2 hours of joining TikTok.

   tiktok police raid
Making TikTok safer for kids is important

Naturally, TikTok needs to find what it thinks you might be interested in after joining two hours, their defence is simple, kids are not permitted on our portal as that's what in our EULA (End User License Agreement).

The girl twirls to reveal her chest, moves a little more, we lost interest and swiped up.

Then came our friendly everyday racists, somehow TikTok thinks we are all interested in this.

Finally, an armed raid, weapons were drawn being filmed by morons in line of fire, happily, it ends with a short round of fisticuffs and what seemed an overwhelming Police victory. All three videos are live at the time of writing.

In January 2021, TikTok announced all young teenagers will be automatically set to private. However, they can reload or switch to open, if they want to.  So it is a meaningless gesture, intended to play for time, at this rate of growth it is quite TikTok will have near monopoly in social media. 64% of all TikTok users are under 24. 

TikTok Set Up & Privacy 

   tiktok police raid

January 2021 - In the Apple Store
Looking for TikTok but offered Houseparty top of the list, Apple and TikTok are having a lovers tiff. Once that row is sorted TikTok will take is place again at the top of the list. Houseparty has also grown since Covid19

Age Verification - Must be over 13
Nice and easy to put in my Age (which is good, No tricks there). I told I was ten years of age. 31 Dec 2010

Refusal - Maybe when you are older, like 13
Next step is to delete, then re-download the Android, Apple Store, and lie about your age, with NO age verification

TikTok, request code, setting up privacy  TikTok, request code, setting up privacy, TikTok define your interests TikTok, request code, fet started, swipe up

TikTok Request Code - Totally Standard
Security to check you can be reached at your phone, email. 

TikTok (2nd pic) - Interests
We recommend you 'Skip', option at bottom of the screen to see what TikTok thinks you might like

Swipe Up (2nd pic) - Ready to go.
How to use TikTok, swipe up to see next Vid. Swipe right to see TikTokers account.

Setting up TikTok Privacy

This is how we switch an account to private which is recommended by Polices Forces worldwide. This means you or your kids can accept/refuse access to the account. Tip - Kids hate refusing, tell them they have as part the deal to use Tiktok. If your kid has a TikTok account, please suggest they move to 'My Friends Only', switch off everyone

TikTok, request code, setting up privacy  TikTok, request code, setting up privacy, TikTok define your interests TikTok, Joke, Bruno Fernades

No.1 Account Screen - User Account

Find the 3 little dots, as shown above, tap into this.  

Settings & Privacy - 

We want to set up privacy for the best use by kids. Note this makes TikTok safer but NOT safe. 

Privacy - The Third Screen

So let's get started. Checking the options we need. The purpose is to make your TikTok as safe as possible but making it less visible to the world. Follow our option, important DO not switch on the option, 'Suggest your account to others'. Leave that one 'off', or greyed out like above

Digital Wellbeing

Use these screens to switch Restricted mode for the appropriate, it is better than nothing. And you can set Time-limits we selected to the 60-minutes a day option. This works well. Well done TikTok here. Note these are the Digital wellbeing option only, Restricted Mod On or Off and Time Limits. Two choices only. 

  

 

January 2021 Statement from Eric Han, Head of US Safety, TikTok

At TikTok, we know that creativity and expression are personal. And so is privacy. That's why we empower our community with a range of controls to manage their online presence. As young people start their digital journey, we believe it's important to provide them with age-appropriate privacy settings and controls. Today we're announcing changes for users under age 18 aimed at driving higher default standards for user privacy and safety.

Additional changes we're rolling out to promote a safe experience for our younger users include: Note; we BeSecureOnline have edited for brevity only

  • Commenting on videos created by those ages 13-15. Everyone option is gone. Friends or No One for their account. 
  • Changing Duet and Stitch settings are now 16 and over only. Aged 16-17, default settings for Duet and Stitch is set to Friends.
  • Allowing video downloads for 16 years of age and over now. Other users can decide whether they want to allow downloads of their videos, though for users ages 16-17 the default setting will now be changed to Off unless they decide to enable it.
  • Restricting direct messaging and hosting live streams to accounts 16 and over.
  • Restricting the buying, sending, and receiving of virtual gifts to users below 18.
  • Enabling parents and caregivers to set guardrails on their teen’s TikTok experience on family pairing

Of course, the above would mean a lot more if they actually enforced age verification, their privacy settings are not the worst, it is easy to set up, monitor and change. The problem is the videos in your feed, that's the elephant in the room and it clear that TikTok is unable/unwilling to curate or control this content. In contrast to Facebook who took meaningful steps to moderate self-harm content on Instagram following Holly Russell incident. 

Comments are closed for this post, but if you have spotted an error or have additional info that you think should be in this post, feel free to contact us.

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