Chinese short video app TikTok is reportedly restricting livestream to viewers aged 18 and up in order to keep minors away from adult content.
According to reports, the new user setting is currently being tested with a small group of users.
Screenshots of the new setting, shared by product intelligence firm Watchful.ai, show that users who have access to it can go to their settings and toggle the “mature themes” button to limit their livestream to adults. If you enable it, the app states that “only viewers 18 and up can see your LIVE.” TikTok will notify you once you enable the setting that LIVE videos tagged 18+ will still be removed if they violate the app’s community guidelines, which include policies on nudity, sexual activity, and violence.
“We’ve heard directly from our creators that they sometimes want to reach only an older audience. As an example, perhaps they’re creating a comedy with adult humor or providing kind of boring workplace tips that are only relevant to adults. Perhaps they’re discussing very difficult life experiences “Tracy Elizabeth, TikTok’s US Head of Issue Policy, agreed.
The company also stated at the time that users will be able to select which “comfort zones” — or levels of content maturity — they want to see in the app. Parents and guardians will also be able to make decisions on behalf of their minor children using TikTok’s existing Family Pairing parental control feature.