TikTok Restricts Teenagers In China From Using Its App To Only 40 Minutes A Day

ByteDance restricts teens under 14 from being able to access Douyin between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - Douyin, the Chinese version of the popular short video app TikTok, will restrict users in China under the age of 14, to step up efforts to protect minors from internet risks.

Its parent company, ByteDance announced in a post on its official blog, the limit will be enforced to 40 minutes a day. This move is in line with Chinese government regulations regarding access to video games for teenagers.

Therefore, ByteDance restricts teens under 14 from being able to access Douyin between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., but will not be able to use the app outside of these hours.

The rules will apply to authenticated real-name users under 14, and the company encourages parents to help their children complete the real-name authentication process, or enable teen mode when prompted by the app. The process requires the user to provide a phone number and other identification to access the online game.

ByteDance says content available to users in teen mode will now include educational materials such as interesting popular science experiments, exhibits in museums and galleries, scenic views across the country, historical lore explanations, and much more.

For information, the Chinese government has focused on reducing the amount of time teenagers spend online, which it considers dangerous, and is seeking to enforce broad rules on algorithms that tech companies use to recommend videos and other content.

Last month, the National Press and Publication Administration unveiled new rules, which restrict Chinese citizens under 18 from playing online games only on Fridays, weekends and holidays, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.