While other popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter boast lengthy community guidelines, relative newcomer TikTok has managed to skirt by with just a few bullet points prohibiting the most extreme online behavior. As of today, however, TikTok’s lax, “anything goes” days may be behind it, and its large teen user base.
On Wednesday, the popular video sharing platform unveiled a revamped set of new Community Guidelines, Wired reported. The comprehensive new set of rules, which goes into effect immediately, is divided into ten distinct sections, covering a variety of online behaviors and content including harassment and cyberbullying, sex and nudity, hate speech and “other malicious activity.”
The guidelines also focus heavily on child safety, an issue the platform emphasizes is taken “with the utmost seriousness.” TikTok, known for its popularity among teens and young adults, will now also ban what the app calls “underage delinquent behavior,” including videos depicting minors “consuming, possessing, or suspected of consuming alcoholic beverages, drugs, or tobacco.” As Wired noted, this likely includes a ban on vaping, which has become a common focus of some of the most popular videos on the platform.
Users found in violation of the new community standards will have their content deleted and receive a notification that they broke the rules, though TikTok will not disclose which specific policy was violated.
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