TikTok executive explains the social media company’s algorithm and its efforts to keep children safe

Video-sharing app TikTok has become a site that covers every aspect of life, from recipes to clothes to trending challenges.

According to the Pew Research Center, half of American adults under 30 use ICT Tac. In just five years since its launch in 2016, the Chinese-born app has exploded in popularity.

According to the company, more than a billion users log in to scroll each month, many of them children. But there is concerns on what young users see when they scroll “for you” and the impact it has on their mental health.

Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s public policy manager for North America, told “CBS Mornings” that the app has “tools in place” that can help moderate the time users spend on the app. and what they see.

“TikTok is all about entertainment and bringing joy. You emphasize authentic content, uplifting content. But like all entertainment, you want to watch in moderation, and we’re putting tools in place, video break, screen time management, and tools for parents like family twinning to make sure they can have conversations and do what’s right for their families and their teens,” Beckerman said.

Beckerman added that TikTok is focused on age-appropriate experiences and some features aren’t available to its younger users.

“Direct messaging, for example, is something very popular with teenagers. But it’s also an area where bad things can happen with indirect messaging. So on TikTok, if you’re under 16, there’s no direct messaging at all. So we’ve proactively put a lot of things in place to ensure a safer experience once on the app,” Beckerman said.

Earlier this year, the the wall street journal studied the TikTok algorithm. He programmed dozens of bots, registered as children aged 13 to 15, to see what videos the app’s algorithms would show them. Hundreds of videos about drug use, eating disorders and porn site recommendations were featured, according to the newspaper.

Despite thousands of videos labeled as “adults only,” the Wall Street Journal reports that its teenage bots still found them.

According to TikTok’s terms and conditions, users must be at least 13 years old. Beckerman said there’s an additional experience for users under 13 that has additional privacy and security protections designed specifically for that audience. Despite the desire of some children, users under the age of 13 are not allowed to post videos.

“It’s also important for parents to make sure their teens have an age-appropriate experience. We have that. The videos are curated with Common Sense Networks, and we want to provide a fun experience for everyone,” Beckerman said.