Parenting / 17 March, 2020 / My Baba

Six Must-Read Tips For Keeping Your Child Safe On TikTok

With lockdown underway, it’s only natural that our kids will be spending more time online. To make sure they’re surfing safely, we take a look at popular kids’ platform TikTok.

CEO of Internet Matters Carolyn Bunting said: “It used to be that ‘stranger danger’ was the thing we prepared our children for when they were out and about on their own, but with the advent of social media, stranger danger can be much closer to home.

“For the minority in society who set out to harm children, places where young people congregate are a magnet, and in today’s world that includes not only the biggest social media platforms but any game, app or platform that allows children to connect with others online.

“There is no doubt that these companies must do more to protect young people, but there are practical things parents can do today to minimise the risks their children face. Use privacy settings at the highest level, teach your children only to communicate with those they know in real life, don’t shy away from the difficult conversations about online risks, and make sure you stay engaged and have open conversations about what they do when they are online. “

Ensure their TikTok account is private

Please note that even with a private account your child’s profile photo, username, and bio will be visible to all TikTok users. It is best to ensure no sensitive or personal information is included in those.

Step 1- Go to your profile page

Step 2– Tap three dots on the top right corner and select “Privacy and Settings”

Step 3 – Select “Privacy and Safety” option and toggle “Private Account” on/off

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Enable the Digital Wellbeing settings

This enables your child to manage how much time they spend on the app and block inappropriate content that they may be exposed to.

To manage screen time and set Restricted mode follow these four steps:

Step 1 – Select “Digital Wellbeing” under the app settings

Step 2 – Tap “Turn On”

Step 3 – Set a passcode

Step 4 – Toggle “Screen Time Management” and Restricted Mode’ to turn these on.

If you have a TikTok account you can take advantage of the new Family Safety Mode that links your account to your teen’s to allow you to control these Digital Wellbeing features together to keep them safe.

Restrict comments on TikTok posts

Step 1 – Go to Privacy and Safety settings option under the app settings

Step 2 – Tap ‘Who Can Send Me comments’

Step 3 – Choose ‘Friends or Off’ to limit comments to people your child knows on the app.

Step 4 – You can also turn off comments on individual videos by going to the menu button on the video and selecting ‘Comments off’

Manage Duet control

In Privacy and Safety settings menu – tap ‘Who Can Duet With Me’ and then choose from the options ‘Everyone’, ‘Friends’ or ‘Off’.

Set privacy on Direct Messages

In Privacy and Safety settings menu – tap ‘Who Can Send Messages to Me’ and then Choose from the options ‘Everyone’, ‘Friends’ or ‘Off’.

Teach your child how to report or block on TikTok

To block or report a user on TikTok, go to their profile and tap the three dots at the top of the screen. From the options select block or report. In the next screen select why you are reporting them.

To report a comment, tap the comment and from the options that appear tap report and follow the instructions.

To report a video, go to the video and tap the ‘share’ icon. On the next screen tap report and follow the instructions.

Article by Internet Matters, helping parents keep their kids safe online. 

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