TikTok is a very popular short video format platform and has even dethroned Facebook’s apps which are trying to clone its features with Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels.
TikTok has updated its privacy settings, especially with a focus on teens and minors. Here are some of the settings you should enable to protect your privacy and help you stay secure on the platform.
Make Your TikTok Account Private
This is one of the first things you should do. Making your account private means that people have to request you to follow you which ensures you vet your followers. When you post videos to your page, only your followers can view and comment on them.
Profile > Settings > Privacy > Dicoverability > Enable the Private Account toggle
Don’t Allow Other People To Find You
By default, TikTok will suggest your account to others. But you can change that so that other people don’t find you.
Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Suggest Your Account to Others > Disable all the toggles provided
Don’t Sync Your Contacts and Facebook Friends
TikTok syncs your contacts so that you can easily find people you know on the app. You need to disable this feature.
Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Sync contacts and Facebook Friends > Disable all the toggles provided
Disable Ad Authorization
TikTok may want advertisers to use your videos for ads. This might be a good thing if you want to go viral but if you love staying private, then you’ll need to disable this feature.
Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability >Ad Authorization > Disable all the toggles provided
Other Safety features:
- You can turn off downloads for your videos: Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Downloads > Disable the toggle
- You can choose who comments on your videos – either select friends(followers that you follow back), followers or no one. You can also enable choose several comment filters between Filter all comments, Filter spam and offensive comments and Filter keywords: Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Comments
- Choose who can see your following list: You can choose whether to publicly show your following list between Followers and Only Me. Selecting Only Me will let other users only see mutual friends: Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Following List
- Duet/Stitch: You can control who can duet or stitch your videos using the options – Followers, Friends or Only Me. Toggle the Only Me option: Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Safety > Duet/Stitch
- Liked Videos: You can choose who can watch your liked videos – Followers or Only Me. Toggle the Only Me option: Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Safety > Liked Videos
- Direct Messages: You can control who can send you direct messages – Everyone, Friends, No One. You can choose Friends: Profile > Settings > Privacy > Discoverability > Safety > Direct Messages
Use a Very Strong Password
Switch from a weak password to a very strong password that has a minimum of 12 characters, includes numbers, symbols, capital letters, and lower-case letters, isn’t a dictionary word or combination of dictionary words plus doesn’t rely on obvious substitutions.
It has been made easier by password generators free on the internet. What I usually do is after they have generated one for me, I go ahead and modify it to make it easy to remember.
Profile > Settings >Manage Account > Password
Enable 2FA
TikTok offers SMS 2FA where you add your number so that when you log in to your account, a code is sent and you use it as a token to verify your account.
Simply head to Profile > Settings > Security and Login > Enable 2-step verification
Save these changes when you’re done.
SMS-based 2FA isn’t the safest though. TikTok also allows you to set up an email that they can send a verification code to when you log in to your account.
Beyond Passwords: All You Need to Know
Enable Restricted Mode for Children
If you are a parent whose child has a TikTok account, then you’ll need to enable this feature. This mode stops inappropriate content from appearing on your child’s for you page. You can add a passcode so that the setting is not disabled by the child.
Profile > Settings > Security and Privacy > Digital Wellbeing > Restricted Mode
Enable Family Safety Tools
TikTok allows you as a parent to have remote access to your child’s TikTok account. Once your account is paired with theirs, you can control their screen time, limit the content they can view, manage their privacy and safety settings and choose whether your child can have a private or public account.
Profile > Settings > Security and Privacy > Family Pairing
Conclusion
Enabling these security protections will ensure your TikTok account is safe and makes it difficult for hackers to gain access to your account plus also making your experience on the platform worthwhile.
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