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TikTok disables DMs for anyone under 16, adds new parental controls

TikTok's Family Pairing lets parents control more about how their kids use TikTok.

Erin Carson Former Senior Writer
Erin Carson covered internet culture, online dating and the weird ways tech and science are changing your life.
Expertise Erin has been a tech reporter for almost 10 years. Her reporting has taken her from the Johnson Space Center to San Diego Comic-Con's famous Hall H. Credentials
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Erin Carson
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TikTok has new parental controls.

Angela Lang/CNET

TikTok is making it easy for parents to control how their kids use the app. 

The app is rolling out Family Pairing, which is a suite of controls that will let parents manage screen time, direct messaging and the type of content their kids see while on the app, the company said in a blog post Wednesday. 

"We believe these options promote a safer and more trustworthy experience for our users of all ages, but our progress in this area is also never finished," the post says. 

As of April 30, TikTok will also start automatically disabling direct messages for users under 16.

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