TikTok to ban beauty filters for users under 18

TikTok is set to implement a ban on users under the age of 18 from utilizing beauty filters that modify their facial features, in response to increasing concerns regarding the effects on the mental health and self-esteem of teenagers.

These restrictions, anticipated to be introduced globally in the upcoming weeks, will specifically target filters such as “Bold Glamour,” which enhances skin texture, enlarges lips, and alters eye shapes—effects that can often be indistinguishable from reality. However, filters designed for humorous purposes, such as those that add animal ears or exaggerate facial characteristics, will still be available to younger users.

This initiative follows a report from Internet Matters, a non-profit organization focused on children’s online safety, which indicated that these filters foster a “distorted worldview” by normalizing idealized images. A significant number of teenagers, especially girls, expressed feeling pressured to meet these altered standards, with some admitting to perceiving their unfiltered appearances as “ugly” after extended use of the filters.

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Dr. Nikki Soo, TikTok’s Safety and Well-being Public Policy Lead for Europe, confirmed the implementation of these new restrictions, emphasizing that the platform’s goal is to “alleviate the social pressure on young users” and encourage healthier online behaviors.

The success of these restrictions will depend on effective age verification methods. TikTok intends to deploy automated systems utilizing machine learning to identify users who misrepresent their age, as part of a larger initiative to eliminate underage accounts. Presently, the platform removes around 20 million accounts each quarter for breaching its age policy..

Other platforms are implementing similar measures. Roblox has recently limited younger users’ access to violent or explicit content, while Instagram, a Meta-owned platform, has introduced “teen accounts” that enable parents to oversee and manage their children’s activities on the app.

Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, highlighted the significance of regulation in driving these changes. “It is evident that platforms are only making these adjustments to adhere to forthcoming EU and UK regulations. This highlights the necessity for even more ambitious legislation to safeguard children online,” he stated.