Concern for mental health – TikTok tightens youth protection and wants to block beauty filters for teenagers

The social media platform Tiktok has announced that it will block so-called beauty filters for underage users. This is reported by the Guardian. The decision was announced at an event at Tiktok's Dublin headquarters.

Ban is intended to protect young people's mental health

The reason for the measure is the negative impact on the mental health of those under 18, which, according to the Guardian, is causing increased social anxiety among minors. Due to the fake ideals of beauty, there is a risk that young people will become insecure about their appearance and emulate false ideals.

A Tiktok spokesperson told the newspaper: “Our goal is to create a safe and positive environment for our younger users.”

In particular, filters such as “Bold Glamour”, which use AI technology to “optimise” facial features and simulate flawless make-up, are said to be affected by the restriction. Cartoon filters that add animal features to the face remain unaffected by the decision.

Tiktok wants to implement measures promptly

According to reports from the Guardian, the change will be implemented in the coming weeks. Tiktok has also announced that it will tighten its systems to keep users under the age of 13 away from the platform.

“We hope that this will allow us to do more and faster [minderjährige Nutzer] Detect and remove,” said Chloe Setter, Tiktok's head of public child safety policy. The platform will take a “safety-first approach.”

People who are wrongly blocked can appeal. However, according to the Tribune, the effectiveness of the measures could depend on whether users provide their actual age. Tiktok is therefore planning to introduce new automated AI systems to effectively enforce age restrictions.

Australia wants to completely ban social media for minors

Australia, on the other hand, is taking more far-reaching measures and plans to severely restrict access to social media for minors. In the future, the age limit for legal use of Internet platforms should be between 14 and 16 years. South Australia is already planning to restrict access to those over 14 years old.

The government has also launched a $6.5 million age verification pilot project. The technology is intended to ensure that only young people and adults can use the platforms. Prime Minister Albanese stressed that it is important that children “grow up in a safe digital environment.”