For online safety, Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, has announced a staggering investment of $2 billion this year to protect children and other users on the popular video-sharing platform.
The announcement comes as TikTok surpasses 170 million monthly active users in the United States.
Chew is scheduled to reveal the comprehensive safety plans during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where executives from other leading social media platforms, including Meta Platforms Inc., X (formerly Twitter), Snap, and Discord, will also be addressing the committee’s focus on youth safety in the online space.
The $2 billion commitment underscores TikTok’s dedication to trust and safety measures globally.
A formidable team of over 40,000 individuals will be actively working on implementing these initiatives.
This substantial investment reflects TikTok’s rapid growth in the U.S. market, with monthly active users soaring from over 150 million last year to the current 170 million.
This marks Chew’s second appearance before Congress, following last year’s hearing in the House, which centered on concerns related to national security due to TikTok’s Chinese ownership. This time, he will share the witness table with counterparts from competing industry giants.
Chew also aims to highlight specific policies tailored for teen users that distinguish TikTok from other platforms.
Notably, users under the age of 16 will be restricted from sending messages on the app, and their videos will be non-downloadable and unrecommended to users not already connected with them. Additionally, individuals aged 17 and under will have a preset screen time limit of 60 minutes, requiring a password to extend usage.
In addressing concerns about explicit content, Chew’s prepared testimony reveals that TikTok employs advanced technology to review public content, actively filtering out prohibited material, including sexually explicit images of children. Furthermore, direct messages are moderated using third-party tools like PhotoDNA and Take It Down.