TikTok is a make-your-own music video app that is now the top most downloaded app in the world. It’s wildly popular among US teens and young adults who enjoy watching and creating short online videos.

TikTok released new parental controls in April 2020 that all parents should be aware of. Online predators can watch students sing and dance on the app, if parents don’t take some proactive steps to keep their kids safe.

This SmartSocial.com safety guide will help parents decide if their students should use TikTok. Parents and educators will also learn how to make the app safer for students who are already on it.

What parents & educators need to know

Overview video for parents & educators

Parent & educator training video

What we're covering in this video: 

• Why teens are obsessed with TikTok
• What is TikTok
• Why parents should care
• How to set privacy settings and family pairing in TikTok
• What parents can do to help their student shine online with TikTok

What is the TikTok app?

• TikTok is a social media app that allows users to watch and create videos that are 15 to 60 seconds
• The app was formerly known as Musical.ly
• Lip-syncing, dancing, and acting out comedy sketches are some of the most popular types of videos on TikTok
• Built-in editing tools make it easy for users to add filters, songs, effects, and sound bites to their videos without any additional apps
• The app boasts an “endless stream” of content for users to watch, which can promote addictive behavior in students

How students interact on TikTok

• Like many social media platforms, TikTok users earn likes and comments on their posts
• TikTok incentivizes collaboration by allowing users to “duet” with each other, which encourages audience reactions
• Users can follow others on the app without posting their own content, but there is no way to browse content on the app without setting up an account
• The app offers Direct Messages. The app automatically disables this feature for younger users (effective April 30, 2020)

Where is the TikTok app available?

• Apple App Store Rating: 12+
• Google Play Rating: T (for teen)
• App Developer website: TikTok (based in China, owned by ByteDance)
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy

Why should parents & educators care?

• TikTok had 800 million monthly active users in April 2020, according to DataReportal.com
• 41% of TikTok users are between the ages of 16 and 24, according to GlobalWebIndex.com
• Experts say it’s easy for students to come across mature content or triggering content that could promote self harm or eating disorders
• TikTok challenges can range from funny and innocent to dangerous or illegal
• Students can find ways to prevent content from getting flagged and to bypass TikTok’s content filters by using creative hashtags and purposely spelling words wrong
• Some TikTok cyberbullies are making “Cringe Compilations” on YouTube. They edit together TikTok videos that they deem cringe-worthy. Some Cringe Compilations have gone viral with millions of views

‍Study finds drinking is "glorified" on TikTok

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TikTok was secretly accessing the clipboard on users’ devices, according to Forbes‍

The most acute issue with this vulnerability is Apple’s universal clipboard functionality, which means that anything I copy on my Mac or iPad can be read by my iPhone, and vice versa. So, if TikTok is active on your phone while you work, the app can basically read anything and everything you copy on another device: Passwords, work documents, sensitive emails, financial information. Anything.

Forbes

‍Child predators use the app, according to investigators

Video-sharing app TikTok is failing to suspend the accounts of people sending sexual messages to teenagers and children, a BBC investigation has found. Hundreds of sexually explicit comments have been found on videos posted by children as young as nine.

BBC News

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The app is innocent enough, but there are reportedly online predators who use these apps to lure children. [Investigations into the app] found a large community of adult users on TikTok soliciting nude photos from kids. Some of those users even sent explicit videos to children.

WDBJ 7 News

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‍TikTok collected data on kids without parental consent

TikTok settled a case with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for $5.7 billion for collecting data on child users without parental consent, back when the app was called Musical.ly. It was the largest civil penalty the agency ever collected for a children’s data-privacy case.

CBS News

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‍TikTok’s content moderation are under fire

The Intercept reports that [a] Brazilian teen’s livestream video [of his own suicide] remained up on TikTok for more than an hour and a half, and received nearly 500 comments and 15 complaints, before it was taken down from the platform. Once people in TikTok’s Brazil office became aware of the death, they took steps to mitigate fallout for hours before contacting local authorities.

Business Insider

‍TikTok says it attempts to remove content created by kids under 13

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese conglomerate ByteDance Inc., has worked to broaden its appeal to adults, which it believes is critical to its growth and survival. It has also been trying to boot younger children off the app, and is required to take offline all videos made by children under 13 under a settlement it reached [in 2019] with the Federal Trade Commission.

The Wall Street Journal

Mature content is all over TikTok

[An informational security officer in South Carolina] recently asked a classroom of fourth graders about how many of them use TikTok and almost a quarter of the 9-year-olds in the room raised their hands. And he said that kids can get exposed to content darker than your average, funny TikTok video, and that kids are posting and watching suggestive videos, mature discussions, violence and profanity. - GMA

Kids spend a lot of time scrolling through TikTok

From May 2019 through February 2020, the average minutes per day kids spent on TikTok increased by 116% in the U.S. to reach 82 minutes… Kids’ average usage of TikTok hit 95 minutes per day during COVID-19 lockdowns compared with just two minutes more — 97 minutes — spent on YouTube. - TechCrunch

What can parents & educators do?

• Learn how to block individual users, report physical danger, and more here
• Before giving your child access to TikTok, download it, spend some time using it, then determine if it’s safe for your family
  Teach your children to come talk to you, or a trusted adult, if they are ever contacted by a stranger on social media. Remind them to never respond to a stranger’s message, befriend them, or share personal info
• Ensure that your student is only TikTok friends with people they know in real life (and can verify they are actually who they say they are on social media)
• Remind your children that their online activity, even under a fake username, can impact their reputation
• Become a SmartSocial VIP (Very Informed Parent) Member and take our TikTok workshops

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Stay involved by letting your kids teach you about TikTok, like Reese Witherspoon

Learn to use TikTok’s parental controls

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Are these restrictions completely foolproof? No. Nothing truly is. Managed profiles can even disconnect themselves from Family Pairing (you’ll be notified when they do). But giving parents the ability to manage their teens’ accounts is a big step towards making TikTok a safer place where everyone can have some fun without worrying about inappropriate or predatory behavior. - Forbes

How to make a TikTok account private:

• Go to your Profile tab
• Tap the Settings icon in the top right corner
• Tap Privacy and Safety
• Turn on Private account
• Even on a private account, profile information (including profile photo, username, and bio) will be visible to all users

Parents must create their own TikTok account to use TikTok’s Family Pairing

• Once your (parent) TikTok account is set up, you must link it to your student’s account:
• ~~Open TikTok on your student’s phone and click the profile icon in the bottom right. Click the menu button in the top right corner. Scroll down to select Digital Wellbeing. Click Family Pairing and select the Teen button
• ~~Open TikTok on your phone and go to the same screen. Click on Parent
• ~~Use your teen’s phone to scan the QR code on your device
• ~~Go to the next screen and click Link Accounts

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TikTok’s Family Pairing feature controls include:

• Screen Time Management: Parents can set limits for how long students can spend on TikTok each day. Students can also watch short videos, that appear in the app, to encourage them to balance their screen time with offline activities
• Restricted Mode: Parents can filter mature content. Also, set up passwords to lock the settings.
• Direct Messages: Parents can turn off direct messaging completely or limit who their students can message. The app automatically disables Direct Messages for registered users under the age of 16 (effective April 30, 2020)

What students & parents need to know

Student training video

What we're covering in this video:

10 examples from news clips around the world with real-life examples of how TikTok can be dangerous

Parent & student training video

What we're covering in this video:

• A hidden feature inside TikTok that might expose all of your videos to strangers
• How to brand your TikTok to have fun and shine online
• How to make sure your “liked videos” aren’t shown to strangers
• How to set who can send you messages and comment on your videos
• How to set security alerts
• How to temporarily hide certain videos to make your TikTok more positive

More TikTok resources

What Students Think of TikTok (student interview with Josh Ochs)

There are some negative aspects, with negative comments on people's videos and being able to spend too much time on the app (because of how quickly you can move through the different videos.) Parental controls and the app's mental health initiatives do try to help you self regulate the use of the app. Parents - these students say that it's okay to have you tell your students to get off of the phone if you notice they spend too much time on it.

Things students wish parents knew about TikTok:

• It's a great way to express yourself creatively
• TikTok moderators are strict about what videos they allow to stay on the app
• TikTok connects you with your friends and gives you ideas for creative things you can try at home

Parents & Students: Contact us if you want to be on one of our video interviews.

Silhouette Challenge: TikTok filter doesn’t permanently filter naked videos

What is the Silhouette Challenge?

• Users record a video of themselves, often dancing, with a TikTok red filter applied that makes them look like a dark silhouette
• The challenge started as a way to promote positive body image

Silhouette Challenge warnings in the news

After some internet users discovered a method to edit the filter into revealing women’s bodies, brightened versions of the videos were soon shared online. Tutorials on ‘removing the red filter’ have appeared on YouTube, garnering thousands of views.

Newsweek

This counter-trend has perverted the intentions of the challenge, leading some influencers to warn people against participating in the challenge.

ABC 13 News

‍Why should parents care about the Silhouette challenge?

• If students are filming their silhouette challenge videos partially naked or nude, their images are not completely safe and other users can see the original video

‍What can parents do about the Silhouette Challenge?

• Talk with your student about positive body image and appropriate clothing for public viewing, regardless of what they think others can see
• Ask your student if they have participated in the silhouette challenge and if they have, ask them what they were wearing behind the filter
• Discuss the loss of control over your images and videos when posting them to any social media site
• Enroll in the SmartSocial VIP (Very Informed Parent) program to learn more about TikTok and more ways to talk with your student about shining online

Is TikTok Here to Stay in the USA? (2020 update)

Conclusion

Teens can have a ton of fun expressing their creativity on TikTok. The videos your kids are watching or creating might be harmless, but due to widely reported safety and security dangers, it’s important for parents to be aware of exactly what their kids are doing on TikTok.