TikTok is including one other component to reassure dad and mom of teenagers who use the app, with the institution of a brand new Youth Council who’ll share the younger person perspective on the important thing points and considerations direct with TikTok administration.

TikTok has come underneath scrutiny in a number of areas over the hazard that it poses to kids, and the content material that it exposes them to. Which is one in every of a number of the explanation why lobbying teams have referred to as for the app to be banned (and why it has been banned in some markets), however TikTok needs to additionally be certain that it’s listening to teenagers themselves when making its choices.

Which is the place the Youth Council is available in.

As defined by TikTok:

“The Youth Council was created is comprised of 15 teenagers aged between 15 and 18 representing a variety of communities and nations together with the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Eire, Kenya, Mexico, and Morocco. The Youth Council’s priorities for 2024 embody a concentrate on teen well-being and inclusion to assist guarantee TikTok continues to be a protected and accessible area for younger individuals to point out up as who they’re.”

That, ideally, will allow extra consultant suggestions and perception, which is able to then higher inform TikTok’s product and content material choices.

On the identical time, TikTok has additionally launched new analysis, carried out with YouGov, which incorporates insights from over 12k teenagers globally, offering extra knowledge on how they’re approaching these identical considerations.

“YouGov in partnership with ConnectSafely, seemed to higher perceive how households have conversations about on-line security. It discovered that almost all speak not less than weekly about teenagers’ use of on-line providers. Nevertheless, the survey uncovered that simply over two fifths (43%) of US teenagers acknowledge that they keep away from sure conversations in regards to the on-line world, and subjects similar to bullying and physique picture have been a number of the most uncomfortable for each teenagers and their dad and mom.”

That are key areas of concern that, ideally, this new Youth Council can sort out, in offering extra context to assist dad and mom and youths to handle areas of potential hurt, in a extra cooperative and constructive method.

Certainly, in response to the primary assembly of the Youth Council, TikTok is already planning new training initiatives that target misinformation, AI-generated content material, and extra.

It’s a great program, which TikTok will even be wanting to make use of as an indication of its willingness to put money into having a extra constructive impression.

I imply, that received’t assist it within the present ban talks, as these are extra centered on its hyperlinks to the CCP. However together, TikTok’s broader group efforts might assist to alleviate considerations across the app.