Teen users of TikTok now have access to a number of new features, including a daily screen time limit of 60 minutes.
To be clear, the restriction does not completely prevent a user from using the site for more than 60 minutes. Instead, users under the age of 18 will be requested to input a passcode once the time limit is reached, according to an extensive summary of the new features released by TikTok on Wednesday. TikTok claims that this feature is being deployed so that users who are impacted must “make an active decision” to continue longer than 60 minutes.
The Head of Trust and Safety at TikTok, Cormac Keenan, claimed that users under 18 will see the 60-minute limit being automatically imposed on their accounts “in the coming weeks” even though a precise launch date for this and other new features wasn’t disclosed in Wednesday’s statement.
In the press release on Wednesday, it was mentioned that Internet Matters had first provided some research. According to TikTok, the length of the time limit was also influenced by the knowledgeable judgments of specialists from the Digital Wellbeing Lab.
“We believe digital experiences should bring joy and play a positive role in how people express themselves, discover ideas, and connect,” Keenan said.