TikTok is Introducing an Adults-Only Content Option

Zoomers are rising up and TikTok isn’t only for teenagers anymore, or a minimum of it’s attempting to not be. The platform is aiming to graduate together with its major user-base. And as one step in the direction of maturity, TikTok is introducing an adults-only choice for reside streamers on the platform who want to limit their viewership to these 18 and older.

As for when and why streamers would possibly choose to set an age restrict, TikTok supplied a few theoretical examples.“Perhaps a comedy routine is better suited for people over age 18. Or, a host may plan to talk about a difficult life experience and they would feel more comfortable knowing the conversation is limited to adults,” the corporate wrote in its Monday news release.

Those justifications could sound naively chaste, however the transfer to age-restrict some content material on the platform is unlikely to make TikTok the subsequent Only Fans. The platform has a strict ban on many of the content material that might be historically thought-about “adult.” “We do not allow nudity, pornography, or sexually explicit content,” says the corporate’s community guidelines.

And nothing within the new announcement means that these pointers will likely be completely different for adults-only streams. Gizmodo reached out to TikTok for additional clarification on this, however didn’t instantly obtain a response. Worth noting although: Just as a result of the positioning says specific content material isn’t allowed, doesn’t imply it doesn’t present up. TikTok has struggled with its moderation previously, and movies that ought to, theoretically, be barred primarily based on the neighborhood pointers usually slip by way of the cracks.

The firm introduced its forthcoming, adults-only streams alongside a number of different adjustments to the livestream function. For instance, customers will now be capable to embody as much as 5 visitors in a multi-guest stream. Plus, the app says it’s updating its key phrase filtering function to ship reminders and ideas to creators trying to reasonable their very own livestream commenters and interactions.

Notably, the corporate additionally introduced one other age-related change to reside streaming. Soon, solely grownup customers will likely be allowed to stream. Currently, TikTokers with a minimal of 1,000 followers older than 16 can livestream, however on November 23 that age restrict will go as much as 18.

TikTok didn’t absolutely clarify the change in its firm blogpost, merely describing the shift as an extension of its already-existing in-app graduated age restrictions (just like the 18+ restrict in monetization, and the 16+ restrict on direct messaging.) Again, the corporate didn’t instantly reply to Gizmodo’s questions on the topic.

Both the adults-only streaming choice and the up to date age restriction on who can stream have been listed underneath the header, “our ongoing work to help keep our community safe.”

Live streaming is changing into an more and more massive half of TikTok’s enterprise mannequin and interface. In 2021, reside streaming income was about 15% of TikTok’s complete turnover, however it has grown practically twice as shortly as the corporate’s on-line advert enterprise over the previous two years.

Streaming is among the greatest methods for the platform’s customers to earn a living, as TikTok doesn’t share advert income with creators. However the corporate has confronted latest flack over the heavy pie-slice it takes from so-called “gifts” and “tips” given to streamers on the platform. In one notably surprising case, a BBC investigation discovered that TikTok and “middlemen” grifters have been reportedly pocketing as much as 70% of the donations raised by refugees begging on the platform.