Omar Oakes
Dec 4, 2019

TikTok increases age limits for gifts and streaming

Policy change follows criticism about platform for allowing teenagers to spend relatively large sums of money on virtual gifts.

TikTok: consulted NSPCC before making policy change.
TikTok: consulted NSPCC before making policy change.

TikTok is increasing the age limit for people who want to live-stream videos or send virtual gifts to other users in an attempt to increase safety.

From today, only those aged 18 and over will be able to buy, send and receive virtual gifts, whereas previously anyone older than 13 could send gifts and anyone aged at least 16 could receive them.

The policy change follows a wave of criticism about TikTok for allowing teenagers to spend relatively large sums of money on virtual gifts for their favourite influencers on the platform.

In July, TikTok said it was "sorry" that young people may have felt pressured into sending money to influencers. A BBC investigation found that young people were spending as much as £100 to send gifts in exchange for "shout-outs" from influencers or access to influencers' phone numbers.

Last month, US senator Marsha Blackburn accused the company of manipulating children’s online purchases in a letter to Alex Zhu, TikTok’s chief executive and co-founder of the platform’s previous incarnation, Musical.ly.

TikTok’s new restrictions follow consultations with the NSPCC and Internet Matters. 

The social media brand, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been growing its policy and sales teams amid an aggressive expansion in international markets. The company has sought to woo brands and ad agencies while recruiting senior figures in the US and EMEA.

Yesterday, Campaign revealed that TikTok had hired Trevor Johnson, a Facebook veteran, who is joining former colleague Blake Chandlee.

Source:
Campaign UK

Related Articles

Just Published

1 hour ago

Polestar takes (subtle) aim at Tesla as EV wars heat up

The new OOH campaign from Forsman & Bodenfors is promoting big rebates for Tesla owners.

8 hours ago

WPP reports 2.7% revenue decline in Q1 2025

China continues to slip, recorded the steepest revenue dip among the agencies top five markets.

9 hours ago

Reaping Jumbo profits: How brands see a niche in ...

How did an animated film about an orphan’s journey to find courage become Southeast Asia’s highest-grossing animation? Smart product placement and brand collaborations played a key role.

9 hours ago

How ASICS India is turning footprints into funnel ...

From gait scans to geo-targeted ads, the sporting goods group laces together tech, retail, and events to chase India’s growing base of runners.