Certain TikTok videos are now being blocked from viewing with a splash screen proclaiming that the post is age-protected, which might seem like a bug at first, but is actually a new feature that aims to protect the platform's young audience from being exposed to content deemed unfit for their age. The platform started testing the aforesaid feature back in February, which essentially categorizes content in a similar fashion as movies and video games which are rated depending on the level of mature content they contain.

The idea is to create an internal video classification system that will sort out videos based on how suitable they are for young users, particularly those in the 13-17 years age group. Instagram has a similar system that lets users adjust the content sensitivity level that appears in their feed. TikTok is following in the footsteps of its arch-rival with a similar tweak, which at first, might appear to be a glitch.

For users that see a black screen when they tap on a TikTok video, with a warning message that says "Post unavailable" and "This post is age protected" underneath, it's not an error. That's just TikTok determining that the video's content is too graphic or mature for the user based on their age. TikTok hasn't shared exact technical details as to how it deems certain content unfit for children, but the system reportedly follows the same pattern as industry-standard PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 rating systems for video games and films. The content blocking will be turned on for users in the 13-17 years age group. But do keep in mind that this system can't be disabled, as it automatically kicks into action based on the account owner's age. As for the warning messages, they will start appearing gradually for TikTok users across the globe. Moreover, it will be applicable for videos appearing in the main feed as well as those shared in DMs.

Age Restriction Can't Be Disabled On TikTok

TikTok automatic video safety filtering

If a user is in the 13-17 age group, there's no way to turn off the feature. However, for older users who are seeing the message in error, the only workaround is to change their birthday on their account. Doing this is far from simple, and involves contacting TikTok support and providing a valid government ID. TikTok says its content categorization system will assess videos to see if they contain "mature or complex themes, for example, fictional scenes that may be too frightening or intense for younger audiences."

Based on the magnitude of sensitive themes in a video, a maturity score is assigned to it, and that ultimately dictates whether it should be restricted or allowed to be viewed by users under 18 years of age. The latest TikTok change builds upon a similar safety feature it enabled in December 2020, which blurred a sensitive video and put it behind a prompt that asked users if they really want to go ahead and watch it.

The social media giant has also promised a few more safety-centric upgrades destined for the short video sharing platform in the coming weeks. One of them is a filter system that will automatically block videos with specified hashtags or words from appearing in users' recommendation feed. Aside from weeding out problematic videos, it also takes out the drudgery of watching videos that are no longer of any interest to TikTok users.

Next: Should TikTok Users Be Worried About Fresh Call To Ban The App

Source: TikTok