Introducing Family Pairing and TikTok's Youth Council

Today, TikTok is introducing a new feature called Family Pairing, which allows caregivers to support their teenagers' viewing experience. This feature includes content filtering to give caregivers more control over the topics their teenagers are exposed to. TikTok received feedback from parents and caregivers who wanted more control over the content their teenagers see, and they have expanded the content filtering tool to Family Pairing to address this.

To ensure the effectiveness and respect the rights of young people, TikTok consulted with experts, including the Family Online Safety Institute. By default, teenagers can see the keywords that their caregivers have added, promoting transparency and encouraging conversations about online boundaries and safety. These keywords are an additional layer on top of TikTok's Content Levels system, which already filters out content with mature or complex themes for audiences between the ages of 13 and 17.

In addition to Family Pairing, TikTok has launched TikTok's Youth Council. This council provides a platform for teenagers to share their experiences and provide feedback on how to improve the safety and well-being of the TikTok community. TikTok believes that listening to the voices of teenagers is crucial in creating a safe platform that meets their needs.

TikTok has been engaging with teenagers and incorporating their feedback into their features. For example, the tips provided to caregivers within Family Pairing were developed in collaboration with teenagers. These tips offer guidance on how to approach conversations about digital literacy and safety. The Youth Council will provide a more structured and regular opportunity for teenagers to share their views and contribute to the development of the TikTok platform.

TikTok's commitment to creating a safe environment for teenagers and families is an ongoing effort. They have implemented measures such as setting a default daily screen time limit of 60 minutes for teenagers, with the majority choosing to keep this limit. For those who exceed this limit, TikTok encourages them to use their screen time management tools. TikTok has also been actively promoting Family Pairing, reaching over 400 million people with information about this feature. Currently, Family Pairing supports over 850,000 teenagers and their families in setting personalized boundaries. TikTok will continue to learn and improve to better protect and empower their community, and they look forward to sharing their progress in the future.