TikTok introduces adult-only audience restriction for shortform videos

The company is now expanding the audience tools available to creators, in addition to already limiting sexually suggestive content from appearing in recommendations.

TikTok is rolling out new age restriction features for shortform videos that will allow creators to block under-18 users from viewing content that is deemed more suitable for older viewers. The features, which are expected to be available globally in the coming weeks, will give creators the option to restrict access to videos that contain sexually suggestive content or are "borderline" in terms of TikTok's rules.

The company has previously announced that similar age gating features would be introduced for livestreams. TikTok's policies will still apply to creators who use the age restriction feature, and the platform will remove content that violates its community guidelines, including content with nudity.

The move comes as TikTok aims to address concerns about its recommendation algorithm, which can serve up a range of content to users without a clear theme, potentially exposing younger viewers to mature or "borderline" content.