Following its international success, TikTok, the world’s leading destination for short-form mobile videos, has seen an increase in popularity in the UAE / Egypt / KSA. If you are not familiar with the application – it is all the rage at the moment!
With a smartphone penetration rate of , an increased access to data, shorter attention spans and a significant change in behavior when it comes to creating and consuming content, we are witnessing a new way of expression. Available in over 150 countries across 75 languages, the TikTok app is the ultimate outlet for this sort of expression. It gives its users a platform to unleash and share their creativity with the world.
In line with TikTok’s mission, the mobile application allows users to capture and present their creativity, knowledge, and moments that matter in everyday life, while empowering them to be a content creator by only using their smartphones. Through an easy-to-use interface, TikTok content creators can let down their inhibitions and show off their talents.
Users can create and post short videos by using a vast array of filters, special effects, gestures, stickers and features at their disposal, including a library of music to supplement their videos to make some of the most innovative or funny videos. The only requirements are: passion, a smartphone and a data plan!
To maintain this fun, expressive and creative nature for its users, it is crucial for TikTok to focus on maintaining a safe and positive in-app environment and introduce industry-leading features such as:
- Restricted Viewing Mode: This feature limits the appearance of content that may not be appropriate for all audiences, once activated. This tool, powered by AI, let users take control of the content they watch.
- Comment Filters: TikTok’s comment control feature allows users to better manage comments, by filtering those containing words they deem undesirable. Users can filter almost any keyword they want, blocking comments about race, religion, gender, politics and more. The feature is currently not available in Arabic but is being looked into.
- Screen Time Management: The Screen Time Management feature offers a new way to give TikTok users and parents more options to select from in terms of the time spent on the app. Users and parents can select new time limits of 40, 60, 90 or 120 minutes and decide how much time they want to spend on the app per day. This feature is password protected, valid for 30 days. If users reach their screen time limit they will need to enter a password to continue to use TikTok.
- In-app reporting: This in-app function allows users to report any objectionable content or behavior for TikTok to action in real-time.
- Privacy controls: All users can choose to set an account as private which means that only users approved as followers can see the user’s content. Additionally, users can also choose to make a specific video private, which will become visible only to the creator. TikTok is constantly optimizing its privacy features allowing users to have better control over their online activities by deciding who can send them comments, messages or block specific users.
- TikTok Safety Center: The Safety Centre is a localized website that consists of safety policies, tools and resources to equip users with product education and protection measures when using TikTok.
- Age Gate: TikTok has a minimum age requirement of 13 years old to login and create an account on TikTok, to ensure that underage users do not use the platform.
Additionally, the TikTok team has a moderation team who works around the clock to remove inappropriate content and terminate the accounts that violate their Terms of Service.