SALT LAKE CITY — A TikTok safety leader and creators spoke during a roundtable event Tuesday to discuss the platform’s safety features.
The event took place all while Utah lawmakers and school districts are suing TikTok, stating that the social platform is harmful to kid’s mental health and alleging it’s used for sexually exploiting children.
Suzy Loftus, Head of Trust and Safety at TikTok, highlighted features already in place that protect young users.
One feature Loftus noted is “Family Pairing.” The feature allows parents to link their TikTok account to their teen's account and monitor their content and privacy. They can set screen time limits and turn on keyword filters.
Loftus said speaking with their child about their online experience is the first step to ensuring protection.
“We’ve done research on parents and teens, 2,000 of them across the U.S., and we found that about once a week, teens are talking to their parents about their online experiences,” Loftus said. “But about 40 percent admitted they don’t talk about some of the tougher things.”
TikTok is investing more than $2 billion in its Trust and Safety operations this year, according to Loftus.
However, with 1.1 million people using the platform in Utah, making sure its users are safe isn’t an easy task.
Last week, a judge ordered TikTok to comply with a series of subpoenas issued by the state of Utah. Senate President J. Stuart Adams said the legislature will ensure restrictions will remain in place in the future.
“Our kids are our most important asset,” he said. “We’re going to try to protect them and make sure social media is properly managed in Utah.”
Lawyers will return to court in December for a hearing on TikTok’s motion to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against it.
Briel Adams-Wheatley, a social media influencer who has over 4 million followers on TikTok, said the app positively changed her life, but she understands the safety concerns on parents’ minds.
“It’s really cool that people are wanting to be more vigilant about what’s being shown to their children but also themselves and making sure it’s an overall healthy environment for them to engage in,” she said.
