TikTok will no longer allow people under 18 to use beauty filters.

The impact of social media on adolescent mental health has been a topic of great debate for some time now, and efforts are being made to raise awareness about it. TikTokone of the most targeted platforms in this regard, has announced new measures through which it aims to mitigate the impact of some of its features on younger users.

This was reported by a popular video application. will no longer allow the use of cosmetic filters by persons under 18 years of age. The measure will be implemented in the coming weeks and will prevent teenagers from changing their appearance solely for cosmetic purposes.

TikTok’s decision will particularly impact those filters that often go unnoticed by those watching videos. For example, those that allow lengthen eyelashes, smooth skin, enlarge lips, hide imperfections and/or apply any other modifications that may distort the actual appearance of persons.

TikTok clarifies that it will still allow minors under 18 to use other aesthetic filters whose purpose is “obvious and fun.” This way, teens can continue to access effects that add dog, cat, or rabbit ears and similar alternatives.

In addition to preventing teens from using beauty filters, TikTok promises to implement other measures. For example, by providing more information about what appearance changes these effects cause, and by giving filter creators more resources to better understand the unexpected results of their use.

TikTok cancels beauty filters for people under 18

Before blocking the use of beauty filters for people under 18, TikTok teamed up with the organization. Internet matterswho produced a report on the impact of the social network on youth in areas such as authenticity and belonging. The report presents a rather compelling look at how aesthetic effects influence adolescents’ sense of identity and well-being.

“Teens and parents agreed that embellished filters promote a distorted view of the world in which complex images become the norm and authentic visual representations become increasingly rare. There were concerns that this would have a negative impact on both those who used the filters and those who saw the images, as they might not always realize that they had been altered.

Internet Matters report on the impact of TikTok filters.

Report Internet matters also points out that while the influence of TikTok beauty filters applies to both men and women, it is the latter under great pressure this may encourage them to use them.

“When it came to filters and effects, teens and parents were concerned that beauty filters might be especially appealing to girls who are forced to compare themselves and live up to “idealized beauty standards.” ongoing concerns about how online platforms can negatively impact young people’s body image, along with other types of media.”

Internet Matters report on the impact of TikTok filters.

In addition to changes aimed at teenagers, TikTok also emphasized its efforts to prohibit minors under the age of 13 from using your application. The ByteDance platform says it is constantly testing new AI-powered technologies to make it easier to detect accounts that may belong to people under the minimum age to access the service, as well as trained moderators. Moreover, he claims that every month he eliminates about 6 million profiles suspected of belonging to children who should not be on the social network.