There is a problem on TikTok. Okay, it’s not the first, and it’s also related to teenagers. This time it’s about how easily they have access to the Shop option in the app, even though they shouldn’t. According to TikTok’s rules, the online store is intended for adult users only. Although cases like this are rare, they once again raise questions about the safety of teenagers online.
As with Facebook, teenagers can lie when they create an account on TikTok. They just have to indicate a date of birth that makes them look older than they really are. After the account is linked with their parents using Family Pairing in the Parental Controls options, the teen can easily access the Shop tab next to the For You and Following sections.
TikTok Shop: Teenagers and access to products not recommended for them
Even after enabling Family Pairing and despite the teen lying about his age, TikTok doesn’t seem to detect this discrepancy. Thus, access to the TikTok Shop allows the minor to see and buy including adult toys, hemp supplements, underwear and other strictly adult products.
Enabling Restricted mode should solve the problem, right? Fake. If parents try to adjust the settings through Family Pairing, restart the teen’s phone, and then turn off the STEM stream, the Shop tab remains accessible. Minors can walk freely through the TikTok store and buy whatever they want. The reason? The app remembers that the user has previously indicated that they are of legal age, so it allows them to stay logged in seamlessly.
How can the problem be solved?
The only solution at the moment is to completely uninstall the TikTok app from your phone and reinstall it. Parents must then ensure that the minor no longer logs in with the wrong data.
TikTok’s reported problems with teenagers’ uncontrolled access to the TikTok Shop underscore the urgent need to improve parental control rules and implementations in social platforms. Although TikTok offers Family Pairing options, these do not seem to be enough to prevent access to adult-only content.
Source: TechCrunch
Source: www.go4it.ro
