Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, will limit the use of the video clip platform to children / teens to a maximum of 40 minutes per day.
The rules, the South China Morning Post reported, will apply to users under the age of 14 who have been authenticated using their real names and will be able to access them between 06:00 and 22:00.
Parent company Bytedance, which controls the two platforms, announced 'Youth Mode' in a blog post, stating that it is the first video company in the industry to have these limitations. The move matured in the midst of Beijing's squeeze on teens' use of technology, starting with online video games. In fact, in August, minors under 18 in China were banned from playing video games online during the week, with a window only possible for one o'clock, from 8 pm to 9 pm, from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays. According to Douyin's user agreement, there is no minimum age on the platform, but minors under 18 must obtain the consent of a legal guardian.
On the TikTok international version app, however, the minimum age is 13 years old. New educational content, including science experiments, museum exhibits, and historical explanations, has been launched by Douyin as part of the Youth Mode. "Yes, we are stricter with teens. We will work harder to deliver quality content so that young people can learn and see the world," the post reads. Douyin, like TikTok, is very popular in China with the younger audience: the main regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, urged to "create a good cyber environment for the healthy development of young people". In 2019, Douyin and rival Kuaishou service began experimenting with "anti-addiction measures",introducing child locks and experimenting with features that may limit the amount of time minors spend on platforms.
