TikTok and teenagers

The free app TikTok offers ideal opportunities for entertainment and distraction for many young people. They can spend hours scrolling through the TikToks of friends and strangers or edit and upload videos themselves. Of course, this also poses some risks, such as cyberbullying, hate speech , or cybergrooming. These are especially problematic when very young children use TikTok. Even though TikTok states an age restriction of 13, it is common for younger people to use the app.

It is especially important that you set the app as safely as possible together with your children and talk about possible risks. In this topic, we explain the features and dangers of TikTok use and provide helpful tips. 

All accounts of young people between the ages of 13 and 15 are automatically set to "private". This means that users in this age group can decide for themselves who can follow them and who can view or comment on their videos. The comment function under the videos is deactivated in the default settings. This can be changed to "Friends" at most. Strangers cannot comment on videos by 13-15-year-olds.

The "Duet", "Stitch" and "Suggest your account to others" functions are deactivated for this age group. In addition, videos cannot be downloaded by others. Please note: Other users can use external programs to bypass this block and continue to save videos.

The accounts of young people between the ages of 16 and 17 are also restricted in some functions. "Duet" and "Stitch" are available, but can only be used with "friends" in the default settings. Downloading your own videos by other users is deactivated in the basic settings. However, this function can be activated later.

Since November 2022, livestreams can only be started by people over the age of 18 who have at least 1000 followers. Users can also specify whether the stream is suitable for minors before starting it. Depending on this, they can then watch the streams.

All the safety precautions described above only apply if the correct date of birth was entered when registering the account.

• Handysektor: Video guide "Setting privacy correctly on TikTok"

Since 2020, TikTok has also offered a so-called "accompanied mode". This involves linking the account of a parent and the account of a child. The parent account can then make settings for the child's account. For example, they can specify how many minutes a day the child is allowed to use TikTok.

Three new functions were added to the Supervised Mode in March 2025.

• The new time-out function allows parents and guardians to interrupt their children's use at set times. For example, young people can take fixed breaks during joint family activities or school and study times. If required, parents and guardians can also create a recurring schedule that is tailored to family life. Teens must ask their parents for permission within the app to adjust the schedule and temporarily cancel the time off.  
• Parents can see who their child is following on TikTok, who is following the child and which accounts have been blocked by the child. This increased transparency gives parents a more detailed insight into their child's network and allows them to have a targeted conversation about it. 
• The new meditation function is designed to help young people stop using TikTok at night. If minors under the age of 16 open TikTok after 10 pm, their "For You" feed will automatically be interrupted by the meditation function. If they still decide to continue using TikTok, another reminder will appear that is more difficult to skip.  

Delete TikTok account

If you no longer wish to use TikTok, you can delete your account. It is not enough to remove the app from your smartphone. You can select the "Delete my account" option in your profile settings. The account is initially deactivated for 30 days and is then permanently deleted. TikTok wants to offer the option of restoring the account again. A step-by-step guide can be found at Saferinternet.at.

TikToks and comments can not only be funny and entertaining, but also inappropriate and harmful to minors. According to research by jugendschutz.net , right-wing extremist and Islamist content and videos that glorify self-harm are also disseminated.

Young people should always pay close attention to what they reveal about themselves. As pleasant as praise and encouragement on TikTok can be, negative comments can be hurtful.

Prepare your children for this and make sure you show them the most important settings, such as TikTok's reporting and blocking functions. You can find suitable step-by-step instructions at saferinternet.at.

Copyrights

Not only strangers but also TikTok itself can pose a danger. Young people often do not know that the videos they create are not exclusively their work - despite their own creative efforts. Songs that are available on TikTok are only licensed for the TikTok platform. If copyrighted music is used in videos and these videos are redistributed on other services (e.g. Instagram, YouTube), warnings may be issued. As soon as other people can be seen in the video, permission must also be obtained from the people depicted (right to one's own image).

It can be helpful here to look at the terms of use together with your child.

• To the TikTok terms of use
• To the TikTok community guidelines
• To the TikToK security settings

Cost trap coins and tokens

While downloading and using the TikTok app is free, users can support their "idols" with gifts of money to draw attention to themselves. The coins for the monetary gifts are settled with real amounts of money via the app stores, PaySafeCards or the mobile phone bill. The prices can reach three figures (as of August 2023). Only people over the age of 18 can use the function to send or receive coins. However, when registering, there is no check to ensure that the date of birth details are correct. To avoid cost traps, parents should deactivate in-app purchases by making the appropriate settings on their smartphone.