TikTok is set to ban beauty filters for teenagers – here's everything to know
Last week, TikTok – which is owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance – announced that several beauty filters on the app will soon be banned for teen use. This comes after a large number of users and their parents expressed concerns about the damaging effects filters can have on mental health.
Christine Grahn, Head of Public Policy & Government Relations - Europe, shared updates on the ban during the brand's recent European Safety Forum [November 27, 2024].
"Keeping our community safe is our priority and by the end of 2024, we will have invested nearly €2bn globally in these efforts this year alone," Grahn wrote in the TikTok newsroom statement after the forum meet.
"At our European Safety Forum this week in our newly opened Dublin Transparency & Accountability Centre, we welcomed media and external experts, and announced how we are rolling out new product updates, partnering with external experts and engaging in cross-industry dialogue to further strengthen the safety and security of our community, and their data."
After examining the role of how online platforms can shape teens' identity and relationships (via the UK not-for-profit organisation Internet Matters), a clear distinction was drawn between filters designed to be obvious and funny (e.g. animal ear effects) and filters designed to alter your appearance. "Specifically, teens and parents raised concerns about 'appearance' effects, including that those viewing the content might not realise it had been altered," Christine shared.
The infamous 'Bold Glamour filter' can be categorised within the latter, which, after its release in 2023, caused major concerns for its ability to distort reality.
In response to these insights, TikTok says they will be rolling out the following changes globally to effects in the coming weeks:
Age-restricted effects: restricting the use of some appearance effects for teens under 18
More information: we will be providing more information about how an effect might change their appearance if applied. This is in addition to already proactively letting users know when certain effects have been used on content
Creator guidance: refreshing our resources for people developing effects for TikTok Effects House to enhance awareness and understanding of some of the unintended outcomes that certain effects may pose
TikTok also shared that they are partnering with industry and civil society to build a general consensus on age assurance. With this, the following methods will be enforced to ensure that users are age 13+:
Having a neutral age gate; we don't hint or nudge towards the 'right' age
Placing restrictions on people’s ability to create another account with a different date of birth if they fail our age check
Using technology to detect accounts that we suspect belong to someone under 13 and send them to moderation for review
Training specialist moderators to review suspected underage accounts
"By fostering a culture of authenticity, respect and support, we can create a digital world where everyone feels empowered to be their true self [...] From artists to businesses to creators and everyday users, TikTok has become part of the culture and fabric of everyday life in Europe. We are striving to set new standards in safety and security to ensure TikTok remains a platform that brings people together, entertains, informs and creates opportunity for our European community for many more years to come." TikTok added.
Read the full statement and reports shared by TikTok, here.
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