TikTok's new safety features put parents in charge of screen time, direct messages
More ways meant to keep the kids safe while making videos.
Parents will be able to keep their kids in check on the popular app, TikTok says.
The social video app TikTok is popular with the kids, which could cause all kinds of problems for parents. To lend a hand, the company released a set of safety features Wednesday that it says will help ensure a healthy digital diet.
Family Safety Mode lets parents link their account to their kids' accounts. Once connected, a parent can set a designated amount of time allowed on the app per day, limit who can send direct messages (or turn off direct messages altogether) and restrict the kind of content their children can access.
TikTok is also addressing users' time management on the app by having some of its popular creators make videos for its TikTok Tips channel.
Last year, TikTok was the most downloaded app, with more than 700 million downloads. The social video app also caught the eye of US politicians who wondered if the Chinese-based company could pose a national security threat. Various branches of the US military have also banned the use of TikTok on government issued phones.
TikTok said the features are available in the UK as of Wednesday and will become available in more markets over the "coming weeks."