A new report has found that TikTok has directed young users toward sexually explicit content through its suggested search terms, according to an investigation by UK not-for-profit watchdog Global Witness, as tech companies face mounting pressure to crack down on age verification.
As part of the investigation published on Oct. 3, Global Witness said it had set up 7 new TikTok accounts in the UK posing as 13-year-olds – the minimum age required for setting up an account – on factory-reset phones with no search histories.
Global Witness said TikTok’s search suggestions were “highly sexualized” for users who both reported being 13 years old and