TikTok enlists teenagers to protect its platform in the US

TikTok has announced the creation of a "youth council" consisting of 15 teenagers. The members will advise the company on security and policies regarding its youngest users.

Here's What We Know

Last summer, the company announced its intention to create a youth council, which is now officially operational and has already begun to work with TikTok's management.

At a time when TikTok is fighting a bill that would require parent company ByteDance to sell the app to avoid a ban on its use in the United States, the company has tried to engage teenagers to oppose the measure. TikTok's critics often point out that the safety of young people is one of the most serious risks posed by the app.

The council, made up of 15 teenagers from the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Morocco, also discussed the app's youth portal feature, which provides privacy and safety resources on the app.

According to TikTok, the board is to provide advice on safety policies and issues that often affect teenagers. The group is also working with Praesidio Safeguarding, a UK-based online safety organisation, which helped select the teenage members of the council, who TikTok says are all paid. The company notes that CEO Shou Chu attended the last meeting in February, when the youth council asked TikTok to share more details about how reporting and blocking work on the app.

TikTok is one of the most widely used apps among teenagers in the US, the company's largest market.

Source: Engadget