TikTok is introducing a new control option for live streamers that will allow them to mute comments from certain viewers. This can be done for varying time periods in an effort to fight hate and harassment on the platform.
Streamers will now be able to temporarily mute individuals for minutes, hours, or for the entire duration of their live stream. “If an account is muted for any amount of time, that person’s entire comment history will also be removed,” says Eric Han, head of US safety, TikTok. The new control option builds on a few features already live, including keyword filters and the ability to turn off comments completely.
Han claims that the anti-hate features — like ‘Prompts’ added by TikTok earlier this year which encourage you to think twice about posting an “unkind or harmful” comment — have resulted in about four in 10 people editing or removing their comment completely.
This comes soon after a testimony from whistleblower Frances Haugen claiming that Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram prioritize profits over the safety of its young user base. Considering that a huge userbase of TikTok comprises of youngsters, introducing such control tools will only solidify TikTok’s place in the short-video market.
In other TikTok-related news, TikTok’s auto-captions feature is finally coming to users in Canada roughly six months after being available exclusively in the United States.
Image credit: TikTok
Source: TikTok
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