What is TikTok?
TikTok is a video sharing social media platform used to create and share short form videos. TikTok has over 3 billion downloads worldwide. Its videos are known for viral dance trends, challenges, lip syncing, and comedy.
The app became popular with children and young people during the first UK wide COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
Users can sign up to the app using their phone number, Facebook account, Instagram account, or e-mail address. However, anyone can watch videos on the app without being logged in.
Core Functions
- Users upload short videos to their profile, where other users can leave comments and likes.
- Users can upload a story to their profile for 24 hours, either a video or a picture.
- Users can add their favourite music or audio clips to their videos.
- Like most camera-based social media platforms, users can take advantage of a wide range of editing tools to change or manipulate their videos.
- Users can livestream or ‘Go Live’ but you must have over 1000 followers to do this. To learn more about livestreaming, please refer to the livestreaming section.
- The Duet function allows users to post a video alongside another user’s video.
- Stitching allows users to take snippets of existing videos to create new content.
- Users can download and save videos from other users who are over the age of 16. However, they can also use screen recording software to capture videos.
- The ‘Now’ feature lets users post a temporary 10 second video or photo once a day at a random time. In order to see other users’ Now posts, the user must post a Now first.
Age Requirements
TikTok rules (Terms and Conditions of Service) require users to be 13 or older to use the app with parental consent. In April 2020, TikTok announced that it would ban users under 16 from using its private messaging function. The ban is based on a user’s date of birth provided during sign up, meaning the ban will not work where young people have lied about their age. There is also no effective age verification to prevent banned users from creating a different account to avoid the ban.
Risks
- For users aged 16 and over, their profile is public by default.
- The majority of music videos featured on TikTok are not filtered. This means some content will include suggestive language, mature situations, and sexualised content. Learn how to block a user on TikTok by clicking the button below.
- Users can complete in-app purchases to get 'coins'. ‘Coins’ can buy virtual gifts that can be sent to users livestreaming on TikTok.
- Users who broadcast can receive in-app 'gifts'. These gifts translate into money, which can be withdrawn from the App into a user's PayPal account. Users must be over 18 to use this feature.
- Children and young people may be inspired by stories of people getting ‘TikTok famous’. Those who want to be influencers might do ‘whatever it takes’ to build their audience, including posting sexually suggestive content or interacting with strangers.
- There is a real ‘community’ aspect to this platform, with users being encouraged to find ‘their TikTok’ when they begin interacting. This creates space for potential grooming as users of all ages bond through similar interests.
- It is not uncommon for TikTok users to leave their PayPal details in the bio section of their profile where other users can essentially ‘tip’ them. This monetisation of online activity might lead to further risk-taking behaviours for greater profits. It could also lead to sexualised requests from strangers.
- A TikTok ‘challenge’ is a type of video that is widely shared and copied by others. These are popular on the platform. Many of these can be fun and engaging, incorporating things like dances, songs, and filters. There are some, however, that can be riskier and potentially harmful, like dangerous stunts, mean pranks, or reacting to upsetting content.
- The ‘temporary’ nature of TikTok Now may encourage users to post something risky or inappropriate as they are not permanent posts. However, this feature does not consider other users taking screenshots or onscreen recording, which could mean images are taken without consent.
Safety Settings
- All user accounts aged 13-15 are now private by default, which means only someone who the user approves as a follower can view their videos.
- The option to Duet and Stitch is now for users age 16 and over only. For users aged 16-17, the default setting for this option will now be turned to ‘friends only’.
- TikTok Now posts can only be seen by followers if users are under 16, which means younger users can engage in the trend with their friends instead of strangers.
- Videos can only be downloaded directly if the creator is 16 and over. For ages 16-17, the default setting will prevent their videos from being downloaded, but this feature can be disabled.
- For users aged 13-15, their account settings ensure their content is not promoted by default.
- Make sure profile settings are set to private. This means only accepted friends will be able to see posted content.
- Family Pairing is a parental control setting that allows parents/carers to link their TikTok accounts to their child’s account using a QR code. It enables the parents/carers to change privacy and control settings, such as screen time limits, restricting certain content types and changing accounts from public to private or vice versa.
- Digital Wellbeing has been added to TikTok. This gives reminders to take breaks, as well as blocking potentially inappropriate content.
- TikTok recommends pages to other users, so it’s best to disable this by turning off ‘Allow Others to Find me’.
- Users can prevent other users from interacting with them through duets, leaving comments, and sending messages.
Top Tips
- Make sure any profile is set to private.
- If a user chooses a public profile, make sure they never tell online strangers any personal details.
- Any users under of the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission before making in-app purchases or accepting any gifts.
- Remind those in your care to never do a TikTok challenge that might hurt or upset them.
- Learn to block and report abusive or inappropriate users to help advise children and young people dealing with cyberbullying over the platform.
Deleting your TikTok account
TikTok provide the option to delete a personal account, but this action is permanent. Once an account is deleted, the user can’t log back into TikTok and will lose any items previously purchased as well as the videos posted.