Kids & TikTok!

TikTok is a popular platform for all ages that allows users to share short form videos with others. But since it is so popular and has a wide range of users this increases the risks and dangers you may face, especially as a kid. These risks range from inappropriate content to hackers obtaining sensitive information. Here are some relevant stories that we think will help you become more educated on TikTok, how to use it and its risks!

Hackers on TikTok

According to a report from Insider a hacker is claiming that they have stolen data and information from the over 1 billion users on the application. TikTok has responded by saying that there has been no breach, but the data had been collected from 3rd party sources that had received the data from the company. It is crucial to be careful of what information you use to sign up for accounts as well as store on them. The hackers obtained information like payment details, passwords and more. Never store payment information on your online accounts, and never use the same passwords across platforms so that if hackers obtains one they can’t access other accounts. You can read more about this here.

Kids Moving from YouTube to TikTok

In a Kids Screen article they detail the popularity of youtube in young kids. It is a platform that can be safe for kids when used properly and has a ton of great content available at a click of a button. But research shows around age ten kids are now transferring to using TikTok in replacement of youtube. This is why it is so important to be educated on the platform, because kids even younger are moving to platforms geared towards an older age demographic. While the statistics show there are young viewers on tiktok, their minimum age requirement is 13. TikTok has deployed a restriction that makes users under the age of 16’s account more restricted.  Check out more about this here.

TikToks Security Measures

While the past two articles can bring some fear or worry about TikTok, they as an application have created and put in different security measures to keep you protected while scrolling. According to The Business Standard these are some of those different measures that can make you feel more secure. Any user under the age of 16 has an automatically restricted account which entails the account being private automatically, and not being allowed to send direct messages. As mentioned before, the youngest age that is allowed on tiktok is 13, and if they find younger users the account is immediately shut down. TikTok has also created a safety center with different resources and tools such as a new user safety guide, a guide for parents and different guides for different situations. Read more about all of these safety measures here.

We hope that these articles help you on your cyber security journey. New and popular applications pop up everyday and it is critical to be aware of the problems and solutions involved in it. Follow Kids Shield on all social media platforms to get more content and resources as well as sign up for our email list to never miss out on a blog. Be educated, be connected and be safe!