TikTok sets automatic one-hour screen time limit for teens
Summary
When the 60-minute limit is reached, teens will be prompted to enter a passcode to continue watching videos on the social media app, "requiring them to make an active decision" to keep scrolling, the company said. TikTok is taking steps to curb screen time for its younger users as it stares down growing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over its security and the safety of children on the platform. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the House Energy and Commerce committee later this month, as the U.S. subsidiary of China-based ByteDance faces both a national security probe and increased scrutiny in the wake of successive controversies, including revelations that employees spied on journalists and accessed U.S. users data. The social media platform said it is working hard to increase outreach to parents as part of an ongoing effort to "bring joy and play a positive role in how people express themselves," according to a press statement. TikTok parent ByteDance is facing a probe from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, also known as CFIUS, over national security concerns.