TikTok is the fastest-growing social network, with over one billion users across 150 countries. But no one can tell you how many of those users are underage.
Because it is so popular among teenagers and they can’t be prevented to install this app, TikTok will push new requirements for a live stream. It is now set up to 13 years, but after those changes take place, it will be increased to 18 years. That means only 18+ users can participate in live streams on TikTok.
The official reason for this change is safety concerns because of content in adult TikTok lives. That is true though, but not the whole truth. But that doesn’t matter for our topic today, as we will try to explain what this change is bringing to adult TikTok viewers and content creators.
You could be way younger than 18 and be able to register on TikTok, and that was something many criticized since TikTok appeared on the market. They adjusted their policy, and now you need to be over 18 years old to register on the platform and create a TikTok account.
Because much of the content hasn’t been moderated, young kids could see a lot of inappropriate content, and that was a reason for concern.
“For instance, perhaps a comedy routine is better suited for people over age 18. Or, a host may plan to talk about a difficult life experience and they would feel more comfortable knowing the conversation is limited to adults. We want our community to make the most of the opportunities LIVE can bring without compromising on safety.”
TikTok spokesperson
From the words of TikTok, we can see that they wanted to create a more comfortable environment for content creators, so they can share experiences not suitable for a broader audience. That way, content created on TikTok will be shared among the targeted audience instead of being viewed by everyone.
Why Gen Z is so much in love with TikTok
Gen Z is using TikTok so much that it became their main web search engine. It even surpasses Google in the number of monthly searches!
About one-third of TikTok users fit into the Gen Z category (the actual number is probably even higher) and, with this new age restriction, the content they create will be free of Gen alfa influence. It seems that TikTok listens to the needs of the majority of its users.
This change got positive feedback among other social networks, such as Meta, YouTube, and Twitch, which are also raising their age limit to 18.
Many teen celebrities embraced TikTok as their primary platform, which led millions of their fans to make accounts. TikTok is immensely popular among Gen Z because it implemented all new trends that are in focus at the given moment. The TikTok creators are always staying up-to-date with the latest buzz, and that is something the younger population values.
They allow their users to keep exploring and creating content in varied styles every day. You can see many DIY or life hacks videos every day. But most importantly, you will always find something exciting and inspirational on TikTok, even among adult Tic Toc content.
With the latest updates, adult TikTokers will get an ecosystem that is more mature and responsible. Content creators will now be sure that their content won’t be seen by a younger audience. All inappropriate content will be hidden from immature eyes. With adult-only TikTok streams, mature content will be seen only by the audience it has been meant for in the first place.
Social networks are part of everyday life for many teenagers all around the world, but some boundaries must exist. They are allowed to have entertainment, but some parts of social media, like adult TicTok, will be locked until they are old enough.
How Tiktokers are Reacting to This News?
As expected, the reactions are going from excitement to worrying about the possible implication of these new rules.
TikTokers who are delighted that they are now going to have more control over their adult TikToc content are the majority at the moment. They cheered the new age requirement for live streams because they now can talk openly about controversial topics and topics not meant for a younger audience.
At the same time, they think this can be a way for their message to be heard and spread more easily. Previously, their adult TikTok content was mainly viewed by those who don’t understand or don’t care about the topics they were talking about.
On the other side, we have adult TikTokers who aren’t confident about this new age policy. They think as the majority of the audience is younger viewers, with this restriction, adult Tik Tok content will get fewer viewers and engagement, which will eventually result in a drop in ad revenue for adult creators. In the end, it all comes down to profit.
But the fact is that number of views are generated by young users who like to explore TikTok and even adult TicToc content. If they find it interesting enough, they will share the content with their friends.
Keep in mind that younger users have much more followers than adult ones, and their reach is more extensive, and that is something adult TikTok content creators would like to keep.
TikTok is convincing the adult TikTok community that this decision is for their own safety and will help create a more adult-friendly environment. It is one of the new directions social networks are going these days to make adult streams safer, so adult Tik-Tok content creators can be relaxed when creating and publishing their lives.
“Age-Protected” Error Message on TikTok
By implementing age restrictions for content featuring live streams, Tik Tok made a big step forward in protecting children online. That also shows how Tik Tok is reluctant to keep adult and family-safe content separated.
TikTok used a lot of resources to develop a way to keep young people safe on their platform and to filter adult TicTok content. Only those who verify they are 18 years old or older can begin an adult TikTok live stream.
This restriction has been applied retroactively, meaning all users under age 18 have been blocked from joining previously existing live streams, with those attempting to view one being presented with an “age-protected” error message.
By filtering mature TikTok content from one suitable for everyone, this social network is keeping its younger audience safe and away from bad influences.
Mature-themed Tiktok Videos
TikTok didn’t invent a new thing, they just used something that showed efficient in the movie and video game industries which introduced a rating system a while ago. But, TikTok’s effort is significant because of the number of underage users on their platform. By implementing age restrictions, TikTok will offer more control over the viewing experience to all teens between 13 and 17 years of age.
All mature themes on TikTok are now flagged with a warning pop-up age-protected error message. That way, a so-called adult TikTok will be separated from other content suitable for a young audience.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that mature content is removed or banned from this social network. Creators can still create mature-oriented content as long as it follows the platform’s guidelines and doesn’t contain any explicit images or messages.
The TikTok community who created this type of content in the past, and plan to do so in the future, have been assured that this has been done for their safety. As long as they obey TikTok’s guidelines, they can continue to create, publish and share their content, but from now on, they won’t worry that it will be seen by someone underage.
Keyword Filters to Improve Live-Stream
Social networks are a great way to connect with family, friends, or coworkers and share messages. Although, they have many flaws and need constant updates. One feature that TikTok recently revealed is a keyword filtering tool for LIVE creators to better control comments on their posts.
With this feature, inappropriate content will be noticeably limited, and its algorithm will be programmed to learn and differentiate good from bad content. It will also send reminders to users and suggest new keywords to filter out appropriate comments. It can be a revolutionary way of protecting user privacy, allowing them to choose the content they like to see when browsing online.
Update number 2: Multi-guest LIVE
Along with keyword filters, TikTok will introduce one more great new feature. It is called a multi-guest LIVE experience, and it is aimed to further encourage interactions among users!
When you select this feature, up to five users will be able to join the conversation during live streams – a great way to chat with friends and followers and engage them.
A TikTok team believes this feature will bring them more members and inspire existing users to create more content while having a conversation with others. It’s so awesome that even more connections can be made every day!
Final Thoughts
After all these changes (age requirement for live streams, keyword filter, and multi-guest live), an adult Tic Tok won’t be the same ever again. It’s nice to see how much effort TikTok invested in making safer social networks for both content creators (mainly adult TikTokers) and younger users. TikTok wanted to ensure that everyone is safe and enjoying their time online.
These changes made us wonder what next TikTok will offer to its users. No doubt, their developers and creative department are always working on improving the safety and usability of their platform.
In the meantime, creators of adult TikTok content know that, when sharing mature content, it would be hidden from the curious eyes of users under 18. It would mean a lot to the content creators who feared what implications their content can bring.
Check our site for regular updates from TikTok. We will keep you posted about any new features they implement.