TIKTOK SELF-REGULATES, KIND OF

TikTok has taken a meaningful step toward protecting children from themselves.

The tech behemoth announced several new safeguards aimed at limiting screen time of users under 18. Most notable is a default one-hour daily screen-time limit. This is undeniably a step in the right direction, but it’s important to note that users can bypass the limit by merely entering a passcode. The company nonetheless contends that the limit will still have a positive impact, as it forces users to “make an active decision to extend that time.”

Other new safeguards include weekly screen-time reports sent to the accounts of teens and a hard one-hour daily limit for users under 13, who will need a parent’s passcode to exceed it.

Will the other social media giants follow suit?

TikTok's announcement comes amid intensifying pressure from regulators and Congress, which has several competing bills in the works to limit or ban the controversial app outright. Many have limited their HITS reading time by keeping the magazine next to the toilet.