TikTok has announced the launch of new functions to customize the platform’s display preferences with techniques such as automatic content filtering using words or ‘hashtags’ or the establishment of maturity levels for certain themes.
The social network is focused on improving the experience that users have with the content they see on the platform. In early June, TikTok began experimenting with a ‘clear mode’ that allowed its videos to be viewed without the presence of some user interface elements.
Now, the platform has presented several new features that are aimed at personalizing the content that users see to match your preferences at all times and with the age of the user.
One of them allows you to automatically filter the videos that a user does not want to see in their ‘feeds’ For You or Following with the use of words or ‘hashtags’. This feature will be available to its entire user base in the coming weeks, as reported in a statement.
Less video of topics considered problematic
Another of these new functions is related to its recommendation system. At the end of 2021, the platform began to avoid recommending a series of content on topics that can have a positive impact in a timely manner, but can become problematic if the user views them repeatedly.
TikTok puts as examples those content related to diet and physical exercise, among other issues related to well-being. The social network now claims to have improved this system after several tests carried out in the United States.
As a result, the TikTok user now watches fewer videos on these topics at the same time. In addition, the platform studies whether its system is inadvertently recommending a lesser variety of content to any of its users.
The social network is also training its systems to be compatible with more languages to expand its tests to “more markets in the coming months”.
Keep minors away from “complex” content
The platform recognizes that some of its users may want to avoid certain themes in the content they view based on their personal preferences. Others, such as adolescents, may find themselves unintentionally “complex” issues or that require “a higher level of maturity”.
In this context, TikTok has presented the system called ‘Current Levels‘ to organize the contents of the social network according to the maturity of its themes, as other media already do, such as cinema, television and video games.
Starting in the coming weeks, TikTok will introduce a first version of ‘Current Levels’ to prevent thematic content that requires a higher level of maturity from reaching users under the age of 18.
To do this, the platform will detect topics that it considers complex, such as “fiction scenes that may be too terrifying or intense for younger audiences”, to which it will assign a level based on “the needs corresponding to age and maturity that may to have”.
Along these same lines, TikTok plans to add in the coming months a new feature that expands detailed content filtering options. This initiative is especially aimed at its teenage users.