By By Elsie Udoh
Following the deaths of children over the viral TikTok ‘blackout challenge’ last year, the video platform has given creators the power to restrict their content from children.
This move was done to moderate children’s use of the app since it is difficult to protect children that use the app from inappropriate content.
The platform which has gained its ground in Nigeria as many people hop on a series of ‘TikTok challenges’, influencing and also using the platform to promote businesses, earned itself a bad name when the ‘blackout challenge’ was in trend.
The challenge encouraged users to choke themselves until they pass out.
According to a report from METRO UK, the challenge, which was not filtered, featured on the FOR YOU section of minors and some of them in the US lost their lives while trying out the challenge.
One of the victims was 10-year-old Nylah Anderson who was found dead in her room after attempting to do the dangerous viral challenge.
This incident led to a lawsuit slammed against the video platform and although a judge later ruled that the company cannot be found liable for the death of the 10-year-old. However, TikTok is still facing a potential nationwide ban in the US.
However, with the new censor feature, TikTok hopes to maintain its goal of providing “a safe, positive and joyful experience” to users of the platform.
