It is learned that TikTok has set a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under the age of 18. After these minors have used up their 60-minute usage time, they will have to enter a password to continue using the service for the day.

They will also be able to opt out of the new measure, which TikTok said will be rolled out "in the coming weeks. " TikTok said the introduction of the feature is intended to help people "control" their usage time.

TikTok said the new time limits come after a prompt last year to encourage teens to manage their screen time, which helped "increase usage of our screen time tools by 234%".

Users of the platform must be at least 13 years old, and as part of the new feature, anyone under the age of 18 will receive a weekly notification with a "review of their screen time."

When the change goes into effect, affected users will receive a new time limit passcode on their app's screen. Anyone who opts out of the new 60-minute limit, but continues to use the app for 100 minutes a day, will receive a prompt from TikTok asking them to set their own screen time controls.

Parents of children using the Family Pairing option on the app will also be able to set screen time limits, as well as access a dashboard that will provide a breakdown of app usage.

Cormac Keenan, TikTok's head of trust and safety, said the company had worked with researchers to develop the new time limits.

“While there is no commonly agreed-upon position on the ‘right’ amount of screen time, or even the effects of screen time more broadly, we consulted current academic research and experts at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Health Lab in selecting this limit.”

Critics of the video app welcomed the screen time limits but described them as the "tip of the iceberg" of TikTok's response to younger users' exposure to the platform.

“The crack cocaine of algorithm cracking”

Imran Ahmed is the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which recently published research showing that TikTok's algorithms bombard teens with harmful content.

"TikTok has won the race for the hearts and minds of 14 to 24-year-olds in the US and UK," he said.

“It’s the crack cocaine of algorithms, the most addictive, the most dangerous, and the most urgent to deal with.”

Mr Ahmed told the BBC that research by his centre late last year found that within minutes of opening a TikTok account, one 13-year-old girl user received eating disorder and self-harm content in her feed.

He called on the platform to not only focus on reducing screen time, but also to "clean up" its feed of harmful content and make it a "safe environment for children".

Meanwhile, TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, faces new controversy over its ties to the Chinese government and protection of user data. Earlier this week, the Canadian government became the latest to ban the app from government devices following a similar move by the United States.

It is learned that in September 2021, TikTok stated that its monthly active users have exceeded 1 billion, making it one of the largest social networking sites in the world. Although TikTok does not disclose the demographics of its users, it is regarded by social media marketers and advertisers as an important platform for reaching people under 34 years old.

Editor ✎Estella/

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