TikTok introduces new features for safer, more enhanced user experience

PAKISTAN: The short-video platform TikTok has rolled out new features for a better and safer user experience. The new features are aimed at providing viewers with more ways to explore new content and tailor their viewing experience as per their personal preferences.

To improve the user experience, the Chinese tech giant has introduced four new features which include Popular feed, a non-personalised feed of popular content appropriate for people aged 13 and older; Keyword mute, a way to filter content with specified words or hashtags from For You feeds; Reset, a way to reset your For You feed if your recommendations don't quite feel like they're for you anymore; and Dispersion, Expanding TikTok's tests to diversify and safeguard recommendations globally.

The video platform also plans to introduce a content classification system known as Content Levels. It is a system that classifies content commonly used by entertainment companies to identify how mature content is for audiences of different ages or with different tolerances of comfort for some themes.

It is said to add an additional layer of protection by classifying content that has passed through moderation.

“When the platform detects that a video contains mature or complex themes, for example, fictional scenes that may be too frightening or intense for younger audiences, a maturity score will be allocated to the video to help prevent those under 18 from viewing it across the TikTok experience,” a statement TikTok read.

As a platform that inspires creative expression and joy, the short-video sharing company is committed to its users’ overall well-being and safety. TikTok shares that the new features and the Content Levels system are parts of the platform’s ongoing efforts to foster a ‘more welcoming online experience for its viewers’.

Additionally, the video giant has a number of measures in place, such as enhanced privacy settings, filters, in-app reporting, robust Community Guidelines and local language moderation which ensure the platform remains a safe space for its users.