Opinions on TikTok How safe is this new social network for our children?

TikTok it is a chinese social network that has become much more popular during 2020. Even its growth has been a surprise for many people around the world, surpassing other networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube in number of downloads.

It was launched in 2016 but its boom has been such that by October 2018 it already had more than 130 million users. In this way, all kinds of people have been able to enjoy its content or join the community of creators.

However, it has caused controversy on some occasions. Because of that, in this post we will delve into the opinions about TikTok and how safe is this new social network for children and adolescents?.

TikTok What can be done and how does this social network work?

One of the most attractive aspects of tiktok, is that it is very simple to use. With it, people can create, edit and upload 1 minute music videos. Each of these materials they can be edited with filters, effects and add the musical background. In addition to that, there are other interesting and slightly more advanced features like some artificial intelligence functions, augmented reality, etc.

Without a doubt, it is a space of great possibilities for content creators. Other features it offers are the possibility of send messages, poll, friend lists and of course a system of followers and followers. If you previously used musical.lyit will not be difficult for you to use TikTok since both are very similar. Also, it can be compared with Instagram but focused on the videos.

Let’s see how it works:

How does TikTok work?

Regarding its operation, it is very simple. There is a main screen where the most popular videos or those of the people you follow are shown. to pass the videosit is necessary to slide up or, if you want to go back to the previous video, just slide down.

For his part, he has a exploration section to discover new content or new users. Likewise, you can navigate between hashtags. to all videos you can like, comment or even share. On the main screen itself, there is a button with a plus sign (+) that takes you to the video recording and editing tool.

Each of them can be recorded with different shots that you can later cut, paste and edit with filters, effects and much more. The editor is in charge of marking with different colors the areas in which the audiovisual material is being edited. As additional information, you should know that you can create videos from a series of photographs that you select. Finally, you will be able to share videos or exchange messages with other users of the platform in the messaging section.

Analyzing TikTok Complete review of the trendy social network for teenagers!

Just enough use the social network a few times to become familiar with it. However, in case you haven’t had a chance to do so, we decided to give you a full rundown on everything you’ll get in it.

Pay attention:

Contents

The types of content that are handled they are very varied, since there is space for all types of users, brands, etc. In this sense, you will find videos of jokes, tutorials, choreographies, interviews, and much more. This means that there is material for all interests and tastes. As you use the platform more, follow accounts and give likes, the videos that appear on the main screen adjust to your tastes.

Community

This is a social network with a huge community presentTherefore, there are all kinds of users. However, one of the requirements for its use is that the account must be of a person over 13 years of ageso no minor should use it or upload content without the supervision of their representatives.

Out of that, anyone has the opportunity to create content within the platform. Taking this into account, its use can be positive or counterproductive, because on many occasions videos that encourage hatred or foment controversy are leaked. Hence, the importance of parents constantly supervising the activity of their children within TikTok. Thus, they can ensure that they are not exposed to unwanted content.

Security

In general terms, TikTok it is a very safe network to use. But they have been appreciated multiple vulnerabilities regarding the security of the data of its usersall this supported by a study carried out by the cybersecurity multinational check point. The security gaps that were found allow the access to cyber attackers to manipulate data such as adding or deleting videos, making changes to users’ privacy settings, and accessing or extracting personal data such as email.

How is it possible for hackers to do this?, well it’s very easy. According to Check Point, When the app is downloaded, the new user receives a link via SMS. In the investigation, it was found that a person could impersonate the identity of the social network and send a fake text message with a malicious link. Consequently, through the malicious link they can access the user’s account and manipulate it at their convenience.

Apart from that, it was also possible to show that the subdomain of TikTok was vulnerable to XSS attackswhich inject scripts malicious on websites. However, it should be noted that these are isolated cases, which means that the percentage of users to whom it can happen is small.

Privacy

In Internet there are all kinds of usersso it is essential to be familiar with the privacy settings to avoid exposing yourself to unwanted people. In the case of tiktok, there are certain restrictions that can be taken into consideration.

For example, they can be block comments from users outside your community going to the option Who can post comments. Afterwards, you have to select Friends either disabled. Likewise, comments can only be activated on a specific video. In addition to that, you can disable other features such as duets, eliminate spam in private messages, block some types of notifications, block users, etc.

Does TikTok violate our privacy? Why does the US government want it to stop being a Chinese platform?

Over time, this social network has gone through many controversies worldwide. One of the most prominent is related to the indictment by the Federal Trade Commission for violating the children’s privacy law. According to said US agency, the platform has illegally collected personal information from children because it allows them to use it without the consent of their parents.

To solve this, the team of TikTok He assured that they have taken additional measures with the aim of guaranteeing the safety and protection of minors. In this way, the company is designing a separate experience focused on the little ones, in which such users will not be able to perform actions such as sharing their videos, commenting on videos or sending messages to other users.

In addition to that, they presented other problems in which, according to the WSJ (The Wall Street Journal) it was verified that violated Google Play’s privacy policy by using an alternative method to capture and store people’s MAC addresses that entered from Android devices, to later transfer them to Byte Dance servers.

The magnitude of this news was such, that the president of the United States Donald Trump, was about to suspend its use in the country because it could be violating privacy of American citizens and to be at the service of the Government of China. Among the novelties regarding the subject, it can be highlighted that the September 23, 2020 the platform filed a preliminary injunction request to prevent its use from being banned in the United States.

Conclusion of TikTok Is this social network safe for our children and smaller relatives?

In the first instance, It may seem like a very innocent platform that does not cause major damage.. Nevertheless, It’s just another way to influence people., which means that it generates an impact in one way or another. For this reason, the most important thing is to control, as far as possible, the content to which our children and younger relatives are exposed. It is recommended that parents and representatives always keep abreast of the videos they consume.

Apart from that, they must make the necessary configurations to maintain their security. It must be remembered that in TikTok there is a wide community of content creators and many of them share tutorials or challenges that can be dangerous. So the main thing is keep track of videos that the little ones see. In this way, physical or psychological consequences are avoided.

TikTok parental control How to control what my children see on this platform?

The safest way to control the content that children see in tiktok, it is through the Parental control. This is a functionality with which the exposure time on this social network is regulated, and which allows a series of configurations to be made to keep the little ones safe. First of all, we recommend you to use the element of digital wellness (which is password protected).

Thanks to it, users who have been in the app for more than 2 hours are alerted. Also, it has a “restricted mode” to be able to filter inappropriate content present on the platform. Another important action parents are encouraged to take is set the account to private. The objective of this measure is that the videos are only seen by the creator and it is possible to approve or deny users. Incoming messages can also be limited to followers only.

Some of the other features that allow parents to control the environment that children are exposed to when entering TikTok are:

• Family Matching: Thanks to the Family Safety Mode provided by the social network, parents can keep their children safe while using the app. They can see different details like who they watch, which accounts they follow, etc.
• Direct messages: only those over the age of 16 can send and receive direct messages.
• Modifications in the policy of virtual gifts: currently people who are over 18 years of age are the ones who have the permissions to buy, send or receive virtual gifts.
• Control Education Series: is a series that focuses on helping the user understand how they can filter comments, set their account to private, restrict duets, among others.

Among all the advances made in terms of security, without a doubt one of the most noteworthy is that of the deactivation of direct messaging for minors under 16 years of age. With this, it seeks to prioritize the safety of minor users.

Finally, there will always be the option of report content In case there is any material that does not follow the Community Principles. There is also the possibility of Delete followers or Fans. In this way, parents can rest easy every time they allow their children to be exposed to the popular social network.