TikTok is raising the minimum age from 16 years old to 18 years old to host a LIVE, the company announced on Monday.
LIVE on TikTok is a tool in which users can livestream to their audiences. The age increase, which was instituted in order to “protect users,” will go into effect on Nov. 23, but the company began testing the ability to restrict livestreams to by age in July.
“As we consider the breadth of our global audience, we already take a graduated approach to the features that our community can access based on their age; younger teens need to be aged 16 or older to access Direct Messaging and 18 or older to send virtual gifts or access monetization features,” the company wrote in their blog post about the change.
TikTok also said it plans to introduce new features that will allow creators to choose the age of their audience on their LIVE. For instance, if a creator’s content is more tailored to an adult audience — like creating a DIY cocktail recipe, or doing a comedy routine best suited for adults — the creator will be able to limit the ages of their audience.
“We want our community to make the most of the opportunities LIVE can bring without compromising on safety,” the company wrote. “We believe these industry-leading updates can further protect the younger members of our community as they start and build their online presence.”
In the same post, the company also announced that users can now add up to five guests to a TikTok LIVE, and it is adding new TikTok LIVE keyword filter reminders and suggestions. It’s part of an ongoing effort on behalf of tech companies to combat some of the worst parts of the apps themselves: their effect on young people.
