Is TikTok ‘Unfit’ for Teens? Apple Thinks So
By Movieguide® Contributor
Apple privately told TikTok that its content is “unfit” for young teens.
Apple told the social media giant that “The platform featured more mature content than was suitable for children under 17 and urged the company to raise the age range it recommends for users, according to newly unearthed communications in a state lawsuit against the social network,” The Washington Post reported.
The App Store description of the Chinese-owned platform states that it is safe for children 12 and over. However, Apple suggested to TikTok back in 2022 that it raise the age rating due to “frequent or intense mature or suggestive content” that was discovered.
Internal documents from Apple to TikTok say, “We hope you will consider making the necessary changes to follow the App Store Review Guidelines and will resubmit.” The app responded by taking what it called “aggressive strategies” to improve the safety of content, however vulgar, sexual and offensive content still remains.
READ MORE: NEW REPORT REVEALS THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT TIKTOK
In response to these claims, TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said, “Unfortunately, this complaint cherry-picks misleading quotes and takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent our commitment to community safety. We have robust safeguards, which include proactively removing suspected underage users, and we have voluntarily launched safety features such as default screentime limits, family pairing, and privacy by default for minors under 16.”
However, Coleman contends, “If we don’t hold TikTok accountable, our children will suffer the very real consequences. Nothing less than their mental, physical and emotional health are on the line.”
Safety concerns over TikTok have been raised frequently.
Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate produced a report in December 2022 that suggested TikTok’s algorithm was serving harmful content to some viewers within the first minutes of their use of the platform.
“There is self-harm content, there is nonsensical content about cures for mental health [conditions],” he said. “The algorithm recognises vulnerability and, instead of seeing it as something it should be careful around, it sees it as a potential point of addiction – of helping to maximize time on the platform for that child by serving them up content that might trigger some of the pre-existing concerns.”
READ MORE: IS TIKTOK’S ALGORITHM REALLY AS DANGEROUS AS WE THINK?
