TikTok sets a one-hour time limit for teens under 18

TikTok will switch on a one-hour time limit for its users who are under 18 years old in a move to curb the amount of time teens spend on the service, the social video company announced Wednesday. 

The platform will introduce the new default setting in the coming weeks. 

Minors will have the power to switch off the setting, however. When users who are 18 or younger reach the one-hour time limit, they will be prompted to enter a passcode to activate additional scrolling time — a disruption that TikTok said could prompt teens to be more intentional about the time they spend on the app. 

Children who are under 13 will also have a 60 minute limit on daily screen time, although a parent or guardian will have to set or enter a passcode to allow them to watch for an additional 30 minutes, TikTok said.

TikTok’s introduction of children’s time limits follows scrutiny from lawmakers, parent groups and mental health advocates over the app’s role in mental health struggles among teens.

TikTok has also raised concerns in Washington, where politicians and policymakers have sounded alarms over the app’s alleged political ties to China. Meanwhile, the White House has given government agencies 30 days to delete TikTok from federal devices and system amid growing national security concerns that TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance could give access to user data to the Chinese Communist Party.