
TikTok tightens privacy features for younger users
A month after federal regulators ordered it to disclose how its practices affect children and teenagers, TikTok is tightening its privacy practices for the under-18 crowd.
Starting on Wednesday, default privacy setting for accounts with users aged 13 to 15 will be private. That means only someone the user approves as a follower can view their videos, which was not the case previously. But teens can still change this setting to public if they want.
Older teenagers won't see this default setting change. For users aged 16 or 17, the default setting to let people download the videos they created will now be “off," rather than “on."
TikTok is also blocking users' ability to download videos created by those 15 or younger. This age group will also see direct messaging restricted and won't be able to host live streams.
TikTok is wildly popular with teenagers and younger kids. A feature called TikTok for Younger Users offers pre-selected, “age appropriate" videos. The feature was added after TikTok's predecessor, Musica.ly, settled FTC allegations that it illegally collected personal information from children. It also agreed to pay $5.7 million.
A tool called “family pairing," meanwhile, lets parents link their TikTok account to their teen’s to enable content and privacy settings.
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission asked TikTok's parent company, along with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and five other social media companies to provide detailed information on how they collect and use consumers’ personal data and how their practices affect children and teens.
TikTok users are asked to put in their birthday when they sign up for the service, but, as with other social media platforms, there is no real verification to ensure it is accurate.

FM allocates ₹660 crore additional funds to MP for citizen-centric reforms

NIIF makes equity investment of less than ₹5,000 cr in 5 yrs
- According to sources, NIIF has made an equity investment of ₹4,689 crore, while the co-investment by its partners stood at about ₹7,053 crore at the end of September 2020. The quasi-sovereign wealth fund's total equity investment along with partners stood at ₹11,742 crore as of September 2020.

Stove Kraft IPO to open tomorrow: What you need to know

Leaders of Covid-19 vaccine rollout deliver world-beating market gains

Diamond trade is roaring back thanks to stuck-at-home shoppers

FPIs remain net buyers at ₹18,456 crore in January so far

Mcap of 4 of top-10 valued firms jumps over ₹1.15 lakh crore; RIL biggest

Markets may remain volatile in holiday-shortened week: Analysts

Mukesh Ambani is world’s 11th richest billionaire. Check who else is on the list

Fee waiver, road tax discount key features of Centre’s draft scrappage policy

UK PM Boris Johnson presses US Prez Joe Biden for new trade deal

India’s domestic aviation operations nearing pre-pandemic levels

Oil industry reels as Joe Biden targets fossil fuels in first days
- Officials are worried that technical permitting decisions are being placed in the hands of political appointees, rather than expert regulators in the field. And they’re concerned permits -- or simply changes to them -- will be delayed for existing drilling operations.

IT giants Apple, Google welcome Joe Biden's new immigration reforms

PMC Bank fraud: ED arrests Viva group MD, consultant
- ED's money laundering probe in the PMC Bank case began after the Mumbai police registered a criminal case in September 2019 against HDIL, its promoters Rakesh Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhawan among others.