TikTok's Commitment to User Safety

TikTok is committed to providing a safe platform for our millions of users. We have implemented various measures to ensure user safety, including policies, practices, product features, and partnerships.

Policies

In terms of policies, we strictly prohibit any content that involves child abuse, child nudity, or sexual exploitation of children. If we come across such content, we take immediate action to remove it, terminate the accounts responsible, and report the cases to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and law enforcement agencies. We believe that protecting children from online sexual exploitation requires a global response, and we actively collaborate with governments and industry partners to implement the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Safety Team

Our safety team consists of experienced professionals from various backgrounds, including product, policy, compliance, child safety, law, privacy, and NGOs. We have regional Trust & Safety hubs in California, Dublin, and Singapore, which oversee the development and execution of moderation policies. These hubs work closely with local regulators, policymakers, and law enforcement agencies to ensure the highest standard of user safety.

Moderation Tools

To identify and remove exploitative content, we utilize both human and machine-based moderation tools, including photo identification technologies. We also filter red-flag language and share relevant information with NCMEC to detect potential grooming behavior.

Product Features

In terms of product features, TikTok is designed for users aged 13 and above. We have implemented an age-gate and given the app a 12+ App Store rating, allowing parents to enable device-level restrictions for their child's phone. For users under the age of 13, we provide a limited app experience with additional safety and privacy protections. Unlike other platforms, we do not allow images or videos to be sent in comments or messages, as studies have shown that this can contribute to the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material. We prioritize the safety of our users and have built various controls into the app, such as the ability to make an account private, restrict engagement with content, filter comments, disable messages, and block users.

Educational Resources

We provide educational resources in our Safety Center and safety videos to guide users on how to utilize TikTok's tools and controls effectively.

Partnerships

In terms of partnerships, we collaborate with leading organizations such as the Family Online Safety Institute, ConnectSafely, and the Internet Watch Foundation to ensure that our policies, technology, privacy controls, and user education promote a safe and welcoming environment for our community.

Continuous Improvement

While we would like to share our full approach, we are mindful of the risk of providing too much information that could be exploited by bad actors. Safety is an ongoing priority for TikTok, and we continuously learn, adapt, and improve our policies and practices to ensure the safety of our community.