China’s version of Tiktok limits children to 40 minutes a day

THE Chinese version of Tiktok has announced that it will limit children under the age of 14 to just 40 minutes of usage per day, unveiling a new “teenage mode”.

Douyin also announced that children will only be allowed to use the app between 6am and 10pm. Douyin is the Chinese version of Tiktok, the extremely popular video sharing service, both of which are produced by the Beijing-based Bytedance.

Douyin is phenomenally popular in China, with over 490million daily users, according to iimedia Research.

In a statement, Bytedance said the limits would apply to those who had registered for an account using their real name and encouraged parents to ensure their children are signed up accordingly. The company also confirmed they will begin restricting the content which young people can access.

“The measures are designed to protect younger users from harmful content,” Bytedance said. “Up to 40 minutes a day of Douyin for younger users will henceforth serve up edifying content such as science experiments, museum exhibitions, and history lessons.”

Bytedance’s new policy, apparently introduced independently, comes amid a widespread crackdown by Chinese authorities. The Chinese Communist Party is seeking to strengthen their control over different elements of society, covering everything from video gaming to private tutoring.