TikTok is dedicated to inspiring creativity and spreading joy through short-form videos, aiming to empower individuals to express themselves authentically and connect with others globally. With a mission to inspire creativity and bring joy, TikTok seeks to foster an inclusive environment where users feel supported to share their unique perspectives and talents and strives to provide a safe and positive platform for users to explore, create, and engage with content that brings happiness and inspiration to their lives.
2023-24 Action Plan
Description
TikTok will continue to engage and actively collaborate with youth and mental health organizations to further inform its policies and processes related to Youth Safety and Mental Health.
- TikTok will partner with mental health experts, to host listening and training sessions with the lived experience communities (both Suicide and Eating Disorders). These will focus on how to safely talk about mental health related topics, and how their experiences can help increase connection and find community.
- As an ongoing commitment to listen to youth and activate their recommendations. TikTok will seek to work with its new Youth Council members to develop solutions to better respond to young peoples wellbeing needs, and create the safest possible experience for our community of younger users.
- TikTok commits to continue to engage its Regional Safety Advisory Councils and work on mechanisms to further improve TikToks’ Youth Safety & Well-being and Mental Health policies and features globally.
Measurement
TikTok will track the results and progress of this commitment via the number of learning sessions carried out, as well as the number of participants. We will also seek to conduct surveys and keep track of the number of solutions/interventions resulting from collaboration with youth/organizations/experts.
Alignment
This aligns with Principle 2 — to listen to and act on insights from people who have experienced harm online. TikTok will work to connect more with the lived experience community, as well as with other groups that might be particularly vulnerable to online harm (like youth). This work will help ensure TikTok communicates safe guidelines on how to talk about their unique journeys online in the spirit of hope and encouragement, as well as help to develop a better understanding of the resources and support (online and offline) that these groups need. We are committed to hearing feedback from creators who produce content in this space to help inform our policies and resources.
Description
To further inform and improve TikToks’ products and policies, and support healthier experiences for our community of global users, TikTok is committing to:
- Continue to expand resources of authoritative information through search globally. This year, TikTok collaborated with the Cleveland Clinic and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to offer those searching for mental health terms on TikTok access to authoritative content. In 2024, we will expand this effort into APAC countries, LATAM, and Europe.
- Promote awareness of safety product information like how to refresh your FYF (for your feed), how the algorithm works, keyword filters, etc.
- Support Mental Health/Youth related organizations with Ads Credits.
Measurement
TikTok will track the results and progress of this commitment via the amount of funds donated through Ads Credits to mental health/youth organizations, and number of interventions/resources launched.
Alignment
This commitment aligns with Principle 1 —tune in for wellbeing. Through this work, TikTok commits to taking actions to support the wellbeing of its users by integrating, promoting, and improving in-app and offline resources for our users.
Description
TikTok commits to supporting and/or organizing events and convenings that focus on wellbeing, mental health, youth engagement, and online safety, to foster thought leadership and collaborative spaces between civil society, academia, tech industry, etc.
Measurement
TikTok will commit to supporting at least two events from our third party partners focused on wellbeing, and convene our own event related to mental health/youth engagement within 2024.
Alignment
This aligns with Principle 3 —share lessons collaboratively across the tech industry. TikTok will support and convene experts in one space to get feedback, hear innovative solutions, share key research findings, as well as best practices amongst our peers, in the space of Digital Safety and Welbeing to make the internet a healthier place for everyone ― especially young people.