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TikTok will add ratings to denote videos with mature or disturbing content.
Recently, social platform TikTok has been a source of controversy, as videos featuring graphic or disturbing content have been popping up on it. Most disconcerting has been videos promoting unhealthy or dangerous actions or lifestyles, such as eating disorders. In an effort to prevent videos like these from circulating, TikTok has announced a new plan to add content warnings to its content.
According to an announcement posted this week, TikTok will begin implementing content warnings on videos that are determined to have disturbing or mature content. These content warnings will work similarly to those utilized on television shows and video games. Any videos deemed to contain mature content will not be available for viewing by underaged users.
TikTok is introducing a ratings system for its videos https://t.co/fghJlxmsvP
— billboard (@billboard) July 14, 2022
TikTok will determine which videos need to be flagged based on a proprietary “maturity score” system. “When we detect that a video contains mature or complex themes, for example, fictional scenes that may be too frightening or intense for younger audiences, a maturity score will be allocated to the video to help prevent those under 18 from viewing it across the TikTok experience,” Cormac Keenan, TikTok’s head of trust and safety, wrote in a blog post. “We have focused on further safeguarding the teen experience first and in the coming months we plan to add new functionality to provide detailed content filtering options for our entire community so they can enjoy more of what they love.”
This new system is slated to begin rolling out in the next few weeks.
