TikTok Finally Adds Group Chat Functionality with Safety Barriers for Teens
TikTok fans, your pleas have been heard. Today’s social video giant announced that group chatone of the platform’s most requested features will finally be introduced in a new update. Group chat will allow users to share their favorite videos, latest trends and best memes with their friends without switching apps.
However, as with direct messaging on TikTok, this group chat feature is not accessible to everyone.
Group chats are not available to TikTok users under the age of 15. Additional safeguards have been implemented to protect users under the age of 18 from the “shared viewing experience” of group chats, where users can watch and comment together in real time.
Users can only be added to a group chat by a friend, which is someone they follow and who follows them back. And for teens under 18, it is only possible to join a group chat via a link if the chat contains a mutual friend. In such cases, teens must actively choose to join the group instead of being added automatically, and every teen who creates a chat must review and approve all new additions.
Security vs. Social Connectivity
TikTok’s move isn’t entirely altruistic. While it certainly saves users the few seconds it takes to share a link in a third-party chat app, it also reduces the need to leave the TikTok app – keeping users more engaged with the algorithm.
But for a company that has faced controversy since its inception and is currently facing sued by the US Department of Justice Given “widespread violations of children’s privacy laws,” it’s encouraging to see TikTok taking steps to improve safety for younger users.
TikTok already has a minimum age requirement of 13, and users under 16 are restricted from riskier features like livestreaming and direct messaging. However, these safeguards are likely to be undermined by the ease with which a 13-year-old can lie about their age and gain access to restricted content. That’s why additional safety features for all users – like requiring mutual friendships before adding someone to a group chat – are so crucial.
While these measures may make the process more difficult for adult users, as TikTok continues to grow, putting user safety first will be critical to maintaining trust — and staying on the good side of lawmakers.