TikTok readies adult-only live streams with new round of testing

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Tiktok On iPhone
Tiktok On iPhone (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • TikTok is testing a feature that will allow people to prevent under 18s from watching their live streams.
  • The option will now allow content to be streamed if it violates exiting TikTok policies.
  • The new setting only applies to live streams.

TikTok is testing a new setting that will allow people to limit their live streams to people who are 18 or older, according to reports.

The change would give people the option to prevent anyone who is under age from being able to see their live stream, with a message warning them that "only viewers 18 and above can see" content that has the option enabled according to a TechCrunch report based on screenshots shared by Watchful.ai.

In those screenshots, we see an option to enable "Mature Themes," although TikTok does still notify content creators that anything that breaks community guidelines will be removed — policies currently cover nudity, violence, and sexual activity.

Tiktok Livestream Over 18 Restriction Test

Tiktok Livestream Over 18 Restriction Test (Image credit: Watchful.ai)

This new option is currently only available to a limited number of users as part of an ongoing test, but it seems likely that one of the best iPhone apps for sharing and watching videos will soon give creators new powers to block underage people from viewing their content. The setting only currently appears to relate to TikTok's live streams, however.

TikTok has long been popular among kids and adults alike and an option like this is an important addition, although it isn't clear when it will be enabled for all. Creators can prevent minors from accessing live streams that are suited to adult audiences — so long as they don't break those policies — in a way that is handled by TikTok itself at the flick of a single switch when beginning the stream.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.