The instant unrestricted access to social media content has always been a point of concern for parents worldwide. The influence the content has on the development of children and teens also poses an equally alarming threat.
The lack of regulatory features in the past made it hard or nearly impossible to filter what appears on the screens of users. Addressing this rising concern, TikTok has taken the step of initiating educational programs for users in Somalia to help them better understand and enforce safety measures while engaging with the app.
Improving Safety Measures: TikTok’s #SaferTogether Campaign in Somalia
The #SaferTogether campaign is the first safety campaign for TikTok in Sub-Saharan Africa and aims to empower creators, parents, teachers, and guardians with knowledge of TikTok’s safety features to ensure a positive in-app experience for everyone.
The campaign consists of a series of educational TikTok videos put together by everyday creators, providing tips and tricks to manage consumption.
It is a collaborative campaign that includes the perspectives of everyday creators in different cultural contexts, providing a comprehensive understanding of how to enforce safety regulations within the app.
Enhancing Safety Features: TikTok’s Commitment to Community Guidelines
TikTok recognizes the need to make safety a priority for the community. The platform hosted a series of workshops that addressed the need to embed new regulating safety features into the app.
As part of numerous initiatives to ensure a safer platform, TikTok announced a comprehensive refresh of its Community Guidelines. These are rules and standards that must be adhered to when taking part in the TikTok community.
Customizing Content Access: Introducing the “Family Pairing” Tool
Last year, the app launched a content filtering tool that allows users to filter out videos with words or hashtags they’d prefer to avoid seeing in their “For You” or “Following” feeds.
The platform has since received a stream of requests from parents and caregivers, asking for more ways to customize the topics that children are allowed access to.
The tool, called “Family Pairing,” empowers parents and caregivers to reduce the likelihood of viewing content that may be damaging to them.
After engaging with a host of experts, the Family Pairing feature is controlled through keywords chosen by parents or caregivers. These keywords are used to determine what type of content will appear in the user’s feed.
Youth Council and Updated Community Guidelines
TikTok recently announced on June 27, 2023, that they will be launching a youth council tasked with creating safety tools that will be more effective for its younger users.
Furthermore, the app also released an updated version of its Community Guidelines, providing users with more information about safety policies and how TikTok plans to enforce them.
Collaboration for a Safer Community
The General Manager of the National Communications Authority in Somalia, Mustafa Y. Sheik, emphasizes the importance of collaboration in ensuring the community stays #SaferTogether.
National regulators like the National Communications Authority of Somalia play a crucial role in ensuring that platforms like TikTok are safe for all users.
He commends the platform for working together with young Somali creators to educate all age groups to protect users from harm while maintaining educational and creative content that respects Somalia’s community culture, values, and norms.
Protecting Users and Respecting Cultural Values in Somalia
Generally, TikTok use is restricted to those over the age of 13 years old. It also restricts teens from accessing certain features.
For example, users of 16 years old and younger do not have access to Direct Messaging, and users under the age of 18 cannot create LIVE videos.
There is also a default setting embedded in the app that sets a daily 60-minute screen time limit for users under 18.
//Staff Writer
