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TikTok has rolled out significant updates to its age detection and safety measures, aiming to more effectively identify and protect underage users. The changes, announced as part of its ongoing safety efforts, reflect mounting scrutiny from regulators and parents regarding children’s exposure to inappropriate content and privacy risks on social media.
Stronger AI for Age Assurance
The updated system will increasingly use artificial intelligence to determine a user’s age without relying on facial recognition or biometric data. Instead, the AI analyzes non-invasive behavioral signals like interaction patterns and text usage to flag potentially under-13 users.
If a user’s age is in doubt, TikTok may request additional verification, such as a government-issued ID or parent/guardian consent, building on methods used for features like live-streaming.
As explained by TikTok:
“In most parts of the world, the minimum age to use TikTok is 13. We use a multi-layered approach to confirm someone’s age or detect when they may not actually be the age they say they are.”
“We’ve been piloting new AI technologies in the U.K. over the last year and found they’ve strengthened our efforts to remove thousands of additional accounts under 13. We’re planning to roll this technology out more widely, including in the EU, and are currently discussing it with our European privacy regulator.”
“If [moderators are] reviewing content for another reason but suspect an account belongs to an underage user, they can send it to our specialized review team with deeper expertise on age assurance. Since judging age can be complex, our teams are instructed to err on the side of caution when making enforcement decisions. When in doubt, we will remove an account we suspect may be under 13. We also allow anyone to report an account they believe belongs to someone under 13. You don’t even need a TikTok account to do this.”
The new move comes weeks after Instagram decided to put a age-restriction on teenagers, even puting AI mechanisms that ratify those who try to bypass.
Expanded Protections and Controls
For accounts where age is suspected to be under 13, TikTok can now limit functionality to protect the user.
This includes disabling direct messaging, restricting comments on public videos, and limiting the types of content they can access. For teens aged 13–15, new default settings automatically enforce a higher standard of privacy by making accounts private.
