Is TikTok Safe for Kids in 2023?

Ali Qamar  - Cybersecurity Analyst
Last updated: November 6, 2023
Read time: 25 minutes
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Is TikTok safe for the kids? How can you guide children on staying safe online without missing out on the fun? Find all about it here.

TikTok is among today’s most popular social media platforms, especially among kids and teens, due to its attractive features. However, the app offers seemingly unregulated access to the users to unmonitored content. Therefore, parents should know the security and privacy risks before letting their kids use TikTok.

We must start this article with a painful answer: TikTok is unsafe for kids. But then, nothing on the internet is 100% safe for kids, simple as that.

Kids on the internet must have parental guidance, period. This is even more true in a world where some consider Harry Potter a corrupting influence on the world’s children. So precisely, it’s not that TikTok is particularly dangerous for kids. Even Disney Plus will never be 100% safe for children, depending on your safety standards.

So, once we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, we can move forward and deal with this subject more nuancedly. You can do plenty to reduce your kid’s exposure to the TikTok risks. Interestingly, the app also has plenty of safety and privacy features built-in, making that task easier. While these settings are no silver bullet, and nothing can compare with parental vigilance, they still constitute a great place to start.

What is TikTok anyway? Why do children like it so much?

In a world dominated by social media or references thereof, TikTok is the current talk of the town. As a result, it was the world’s top social media app (by download number) during 2020.