What would happen if TikTok matured? However, if one in four app users is under the age of 19, the app wants to move away from its main goal and offer different content to attract more adults. To do this, the platform will enable different options, further restricting the creation and viewing of content for the youngest.
Relevant Live Videos
The new measures implemented by TikTok to age its audience are mainly aimed at live videos. From now on, it will no longer be possible to launch a live stream if you are not 18 years or older. Currently, only those over the age of 16 with a minimum of 1,000 subscribers can stream live on the platform. The age limit change will take place on November 23.
Another expected option: being able to restrict your audience to adults during a live broadcast. In its press release announcing its new features, TikTok explains that this option will make users feel more comfortable and secure. “Perhaps some comedy sketches are more appropriate for people over 18 years of age. Or a user may plan to talk about a difficult experience and will feel more comfortable knowing that the conversation is limited to adults.
TikTok has also announced other features related to age restriction. Users must be at least 16 years old to access private messages and 18 years old to benefit from the monetization options present in the application.
TikTok, new OnlyFans?
With these new options to restrict adult-only content, isn’t there a risk that the OnlyFans video app will be more accessible? It would seem not, since the platform remains strict regarding activities related to sexuality. In its terms of use, TikTok reminds that “they do not allow nudity, pornography or explicit sexual content in [leur] But content moderation is still a frequent issue on the platform, especially regarding live videos. A recent controversy has also pointed the finger at live videos of Syrian families begging with their children.
The other problem that could hinder TikTok in its approach is the good faith of its users. Today, nothing prevents minors from lying about their age. A fairly widespread practice even since in the United Kingdom, for example, 47% of children between the ages of 8 and 15 lie about their age on social networks.
Live video is a big part of the TikTok business model today. In 2021, they made up 15% of the company’s turnover, growing twice as fast as ad-related revenue. Live has thus become one of the main sources of income for the Chinese platform, which recovers a large percentage of the profits generated on each live passage.
Source: BFM TV
