TikTok users won't be able to access certain filters The platform will block them to protect mental health
TikTok will ban beauty filters and effects for underage users in Europe, to limit the negative impact on identity and mental health, among other new security measures for its European user community.
The ByteDance-owned social network said it currently has a community in Europe of more than 175 million people, who visit TikTok monthly to discover new content, interact with other users or simply for entertainment.
In this sense, TikTok has made it clear that one of its priorities is to keep its community safe, especially with regard to young people and minors. To this end, it has announced some measures that it will implement in its services to "continue to strengthen" the security of users and their data, within the framework of the TikTok European Security Forum, held in Dublin (Ireland).
One such development is the limitation of the use of cosmetic effects for underage users of the platform in Europe, in order to prevent their use from negatively affecting their sense of identity.
As the company explained in a statement on its website, this action was taken following the results of a report prepared by the British organization Internet Matters, which analyzes the role of online platforms in shaping identity and relationships among teenagers.
Specifically, the report, “Authenticity, Belonging, and Connectedness in Youth’s Digital Wellbeing,” highlights the benefits of online authenticity, as well as the consequences of teens’ use of influencers and the impact this has on their sense of identity.
Thus, the results reflect concerns about the use of “look” effects, particularly since when viewing content, users are sometimes unaware that it has been shaped.
Consuming this type of content can create confusion for young users who see a distorted reality. In response to all this, TikTok announced that it will restrict the use of beauty filters for users under the age of 18.
This restriction will start to be implemented in the coming weeks, which will prevent a minor user from accessing these effects to create content on the social network, for example, changing their appearance with smoother skin, longer eyelashes or thinner faces.