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TikTok is making changes to limit kids from going live and to allow streamers to only reach adults. Currently, anyone over 16 with at least a thousand followers can livestream on TikTok and those over 18 can send and receive tips - one of the ways creators make money on the platform. But TikTok has announced updates, including the age limits, that will go into effect next month. “To protect our users and creators and support their well-being, we constantly work to evolve the safeguards we put in place,” TikTok says in the blog post.
Starting November 23rd, only users 18 and up will be able to host a livestream. In addition to the new age minimums, people hosting livestreams will be able to target adults only for streams that are more appropriate for older audiences. According to TikTok, the adults-only feature could be used for content like certain comedy acts or when creators are talking about life experiences they prefer kids not watch. And after a BBC investigation revealed how Syrian families in refugee camps were going live to plead for tips from viewers, TikTok tells the BBC it will take action against “exploitative begging.”
Source: The Verge