TikTok says to add screen time limits for teens

PARIS: TikTok said on Tuesday it would allow parents to limit the time their teens spend on the app as the Chinese-owned social network confronts political fallout from rising claims that excessive screen time is damaging adolescents´ mental health.

The feature, set for immediate launch in the EU with the US to follow later, allows parents to set time limits or establish time windows for being on TikTok, the company said in a statement on its website. TikTok´s update follows in the footsteps of competitor Instagram, owned by Facebook parent company Meta, which launched a similar feature several months ago.

There will be no way to get around TikTok´s “Time Away” block without the adult parent deactivating it from their own account. TikTok, which boasts more than one billion users worldwide for its short videos, said that in the coming weeks it would enable parents to see whom their teen children are following on the network, as well as who is following them and whom they have blocked.

And under-16s will be offered a “Meditation” function after 10pm suggesting relaxation exercises accompanied by calming music -- although this feature can be switched off by the teen. TikTok´s changes come as it is under scrutiny across the EU and further afield for its impact on teens and for its potential use to interfere in elections.