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TikTok unveils a youth council in collaboration with Praesidio Safeguarding to strengthen youth protection and mental health on the platform.
In a recent blog post, TikTok announced the formation of a so-called Youth Council.
This new initiative aims to strengthen youth protection on the popular short video platform and focus on the mental health of young users.
The Youth Council, made up of 15 teenagers aged 15 to 18 from various countries including the US, UK, Brazil and Kenya, marks an innovative step in TikTok's commitment to a safer online environment.
A few days ago it was announced that TikTok could face a total ban in the USA.
TikTok unveils a youth council in collaboration with Praesidio Safeguarding to strengthen youth protection and mental health on the platform.
(Symbolic image) © Pond5 Images/IMAGO
A global body for youth protection on TikTok
In collaboration with Praesidio Safeguarding, an organization dedicated to online safety, TikTok aims to receive direct feedback from young people through the Youth Council.
The idea behind it: to gain insights into the needs and concerns of young people in order to adapt the platform accordingly.
Council members bring a diverse perspective to the discussion as they come from different regions of the world.
TikTok's priority: mental health and education
The first meeting of the youth council took place in December 2023, and another recently followed with the participation of TikTok CEO Shou Chew.
A key point of discussion is the mental health of teenagers.
The Council proposes to put this even more in the foreground and to design the platform in such a way that it positively supports the psychological state of young users.
The Youth Council also emphasizes the importance of providing more education on topics such as misinformation and AI-generated content on TikTok.
The young council members have already provided feedback on the Youth Portal, which TikTok is currently revamping.
This shows that their voice is taken seriously and that they are actively contributing to shaping the platform.
Image cultivation and critical consideration
While the Youth Council represents a positive initiative to improve youth protection and position TikTok as a responsible platform, critical voices are inevitable.
The question arises to what extent the young members of the Council can actually have an influence.
TikTok's motives could be complex, with image cultivation at the forefront, especially as the platform is currently being criticized for its alleged negative influence on the mental health of young people and its handling of user data.
Nepal's government also wanted to ban TikTok at the end of 2023 because the portal would have a potential impact on the country's social harmony, as NEXTG.tv reports.