MANILA, PHILIPPINES — TikTok, the world’s leading short-form video platform, has reinforced its commitment to prioritize minors’ safety through an array of advanced safety measures, in line with Safer Internet Day. This commemorative event takes place in February of each year to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, especially for teens and young people.
In a panel discussion featuring TikTok Philippine Public Policy Head Toff Rada, TikTok Outreach & Partnerships Manager KahnJi Weerachaising, and Mona Magno-Veluz, a content creator known as @mightymagulang and a Filipino member of TikTok’s Safety Advisory Council, the platform reiterated its dedication to creating a secure and positive online environment for young users.
Commitment to Teen Safety and Well-Being
Public Policy at TikTok.
TikTok is committed to building age-appropriate experiences and controls that enable teens to have a safe, inclusive space to explore their creativity and have fun.
“As a newer platform looking to innovate how we build, we’re committed to addressing long-running industry challenges around youth safety. We’ve designed our app with safety in mind, implementing a ‘Safety by Design’ approach that ensures we are protecting our community. We’re dedicated to partnering with families as we share their interests in supporting teens as they start to explore the online world independently,” said Toff Rada, Philippine Head of Public Policy at TikTok.
Local Collaborations and Partnerships
TikTok takes a proactive approach to crafting Community Guidelines (available in English and Filipino) that adapt to the evolving digital landscape while addressing emerging safety concerns. Through ongoing consultations with government agencies, diversity experts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and teens, TikTok ensures that its policies align with local and global best practices and fosters diversity and inclusivity within a secure and positive digital space.
“We regularly involve teens in the conversations we have about online safety, enabling us to listen and be responsive to their needs. We partner with Child Rights Coalition Asia and ChildFund Philippines to host safety consultations with Filipino youth and we continuously engage with experts and NGOs to keep abreast of local trends through forums such as ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Protection,” said Khanji Weerachaising, Policy Outreach at TikTok.
TikTok’s Safety Advisory Council
TikTok’s Regional Safety Advisory Council (SAC) brings together groups of independent experts who help develop forward-looking policies and processes that not only address the challenges of today but also plan ahead for the next set of issues that the industry will face. Mona Magno-Veluz, better known as @mightymagulang on TikTok sits on the council as the Philippine representative.
Advisory Council Member
Mona, who is also a Philippine member of the Safety Advisory Council, TikTok, emphasized, “Being part of TikTok’s Safety Advisory Council allows me to contribute to shaping a safer and more inclusive digital space. It’s an opportunity to represent the voices of Filipino users, ensuring that our community’s concerns and perspectives are taken into account in the development of TikTok’s safety policies.”
“Our council members represent diverse backgrounds and perspectives and comprise experts in youth safety, free expression, hate speech, and other safety topics. They work collaboratively with us to inform and strengthen our policies, product features, and safety processes. We have creators such as Mona to improve representation and deepen trust and safety understanding of the impacts policies, moderation, and the gaps and opportunities therein have on creators and their communities,” added Khanji.
Transparency in Community Guidelines Enforcement
TikTok has over 40,000 safety professionals dedicated to keeping TikTok safe. This team includes thousands of moderators around the world to provide the platform with around-the-clock support to review content that may violate its policies. These teams are trained to review and take action on content that may violate TikTok’s minor safety policies more broadly. TikTok also publishes Community Guidelines Enforcement Reports quarterly, which brings visibility to the content and accounts removed for violating its Community Guidelines.
From July to September 2023, TikTok removed a total of over 3.8 million videos in the Philippines for violating our Community Guidelines; 98% of these videos were proactively removed, 87% were removed before any views, and 95% were removed within 24 hours.
Empowering Parents and the Youth
TikTok considers parents and caregivers as its most important partners because they have the opportunity to shape and guide young people to make smart choices. TikTok invests in tools like Family Pairing and resources such as the Guardian’s Guide in English and Filipino for guardians, educators, and families to help them stay engaged in their teen’s life online. And because every family is different, TikTok offers a range of choices and settings.
“At TikTok, we strive to build not just a safe community but an inclusive space where teens can explore, create, and connect safely. With our platform safeguards, through close collaboration with our Safety Advisory Council and local partners, and by empowering parents and teens, we’re determined to stay a trusted space where teens can explore the world and have fun,” said Toff.
TikTok has a steadfast commitment to minor safety through collaboration and innovation. The platform’s proactive approach and continuous efforts underscore its dedication to fostering a secure and positive online environment for users worldwide.
