Prioritizing Safety on TikTok: Findings and Measures

TikTok conducted a global project to better understand the engagement of young people with potentially harmful challenges and hoaxes. The research involved surveying over 10,000 teens, parents, and teachers from various countries and seeking input from a panel of 12 leading youth safety experts. The findings were captured in a report by the independent safeguarding agency, Praesidio Safeguarding.

The research revealed that most challenges on TikTok are fun and safe. Examples like the ice bucket challenge, which raised awareness for ALS, and the #BlindingLightsChallenge, which brought families closer together, demonstrate the positive impact of these challenges. Adolescence is a period associated with risk-taking, and TikTok wanted to understand how this motivates teens to participate in challenges. It was found that teens assess the risk level of challenges before participating, using methods such as watching videos, reading comments, and talking to friends. Empowering teens with guidance on assessing risks is crucial for their safety.

TikTok also listened to concerns from parents regarding hoaxes related to suicide and self-harm. These hoaxes can have a negative impact on teens' mental health. Caregivers often struggle to talk about these hoaxes with their teens, fearing that it might prompt interest in harmful behavior. To address this, TikTok will remove alarmist warnings about self-harm hoaxes to prevent harm caused by treating them as real. They will continue to allow conversations that dispel panic and promote accurate information.

In terms of protection efforts, TikTok has improved its policies and processes based on the findings from the report. They have developed technology to detect and enforce violations, including potentially dangerous behavior. Additionally, TikTok has created new resources, in collaboration with experts, to provide better information about challenges and hoaxes for teens, parents, and educators. The language used in warning labels has been improved, and additional resources have been added in search results related to harmful challenges or hoaxes.

TikTok believes that their work with experts can contribute to the broader understanding of this topic and help others in the industry. They acknowledge that there is more work to be done and will continue to explore and implement additional measures to ensure the safety of their community.