Escorted mode on TikTok gives parents more control

TikTok, the short-form mobile video platform popular with kids and teens, launched "accompanied mode" in Europe last week. The new in-app feature gives parents tools to restrict their children's use.

Update as of 08.04.2020: In the meantime, jugendschutz.net has conducted an in-depth review of the accompanied mode and concluded that it cannot sufficiently restrict some of the app's risky features.

In order to use the accompanied mode, TikTok must be installed on both the smartphone of the teenagers and that of the parents. Accompanied Mode can be found in the "Digital Wellbeing" settingsunder "Privacy and Settings." The child's device is used to scan a QR code that is displayed on the parent's smartphone. Children thereby consent to their parents tracking their usage. The new feature is currently being rolled out and will not yet be visible on some smartphones.

After activating the accompanied mode, parents set the screen time, contact options and content filtering of the "For You" feed together with their children. For data protection reasons, parents only get access to these functions. Parents can't see what video content teens watch or what messages and comments they receive and send.

Parents can set the following features with Accompanied Mode:

  • Usage Time: Parents set a usage time with their children of 40, 60, 90, or 120 minutes per day. When the time is used up, a password must be entered to continue using TikTok.
  • Contact options: This defines who can send private messages to the children: everyone or only friends. Those who don't want this at all can also disable receiving private messages altogether.
  • Restricted mode: In restricted mode, certain content intended for adults is filtered out.

Source: press release TikTok

More on the topic

  • klicksafe topic area: TikTok
  • jugendschutz.net: Practical info TikTok
  • klicksafe for parents: Social networks, messenger & Co.
  • klicksafe will publish a booklet for parents entitled "What is my child actually doing on TikTok?" in the spring.