Technologies

Is TikTok Safe for Kids? Change These 11 Privacy Settings Right Now

TikTok can be a dangerous place, especially for teenagers. Here’s how you can help protect them.

TikTok is the second-most-popular social media site among teenagers in the US. It not only offers kids an endless stream of entertaining videos, TikTok also connects people with their friends and family and with people who have similar interests. And it gives folks the chance to go viral with one of their own creations. But there’s also a dark side of TikTok.

Many kids and teens who have their videos go viral are subjected to harassment, ridicule and bullying. There’s also the worry of violent and obscene videos coming up in their timelines. Not to mention anonymous users sending inappropriate messages.

If you have kids on TikTok, or even use the service yourself, it’s important to become familiar with the features and settings TikTok offers to keep you safer while you’re online. Here are 11 settings that can help protect you from unwanted followers, harmful comments and violent videos on TikTok.

See everyone who views your TikTok profile

If you have a public account and you’re over 16 years old, anyone on TikTok can access your profile and watch your videos. (Accounts for people under 16 are automatically set to private.)

For many users, widespread exposure is the attraction of TikTok. It’s a chance for your content to be seen around the world. But you may not want everyone, like bullies or even some family members, to be able to view your TikTok account.

Luckily, it’s easy to find everyone who has looked at your profile.

On TikTok, go to Profile and tap on the three-dash menu in the top right.
Tap Settings and privacy and go into Privacy.
Hit Profile views and toggle on Profile view history.

If you enable the profile views setting on TikTok, other people will be able to see when you check out their profile.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

You’ll now be able to see everyone who’s viewed your profile in the last 30 days. If you find someone that you don’t want to have access to your profile and videos, you can then block them.

Block accounts on TikTok so they can’t see your profile

If you want to stop a certain account from being able to see your profile, you can block them — whether they’re harassing or stalking you, or for any reason you like.

First, find the account you want to block and go to their profile.
Next, tap on the three-dot icon in the top right.
Finally, hit the Block button in the small menu that appears and then hit Block again when prompted.

Blocking people on TikTok — Block someone’s account so they can’t see your profile, send you messages and more.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Not only will a blocked account be unable to view your profile, they also can’t send you messages or even find your profile by searching for it. However, if your video is in a duet or you’re on a livestream with multiple hosts, it’s possible that a blocked account may be able to see those videos.

Set your TikTok account to private to control who can see it

The easiest way to maintain your privacy on TikTok is to make your account private, meaning only people you actively allow can view your profile and videos. To make your account private:

Go to Profile in the nav bar at the bottom of the page.
Tap the three-dash menu in the top right.
Hit Settings and privacy > Privacy
Toggle Private account to On

Private account setting on TikTok — If your TikTok account is private, only those you accept as friends will be able to see your videos.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

After changing to a private account, only users that you approve can follow your account and watch your videos, but existing followers are allowed to continue following you. If that’s a problem, you’ll need to individually block any followers that you don’t want seeing your videos.

Stop people from downloading your TikTok videos

By default, anyone who stumbles across your video on TikTok can download it using the site’s built-in video download feature. If you don’t feel comfortable with other people having your videos saved on their devices, you can disable that feature.

Go to Profile > three-dash menu > Settings and privacy
Tap Downloads underneath the Interactions heading
Toggle Video downloads to Off

Video downloads setting on TikTok — There are still other ways to download videos from TikTok, especially with third-party services.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Unfortunately, there are other ways that people can download your videos, such as screen recording, third-party apps and shortcuts, but this setting will prevent one of the most popular (and easiest) ways of downloading videos from TikTok.

Report problematic accounts, videos or comments on TikTok

Blocking an account may not always be enough. If an account is pretending to be someone else or harassing people in general, you might be able to report the offending actions and have the account restricted or permanently banned. Not only can you report individual accounts, but also specific videos, comments and direct messages.

To report hateful, violent or other prohibited content on TikTok:

Account: Go to the account profile of the offending party, tap the three-dot icon in the top right, hit Report and follow the instructions.
Video: Long press on the video, tap Report and follow the instructions.
Live: Long press on the live video, tap Report and follow the instructions.
Comment: Long press on the comment, tap Report and follow the instructions.
Direct Message: Long press on the message or messages, tap Report and follow the instructions.

Reporting a video on TikTok — You can report TikTok accounts, videos, comments and other improper behavior.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

You can report something for a variety of reasons, including minor safety, disordered eating, self-harm, adult nudity, bullying, harassment, spam, harmful misinformation, illegal activities, violent content and more.

Stop TikTok from recommending your account to other people

If you want your account to stay low-key and away from too many people’s eyes, you can stop your account from being suggested to other people that might have your contact information on their phone or have mutual friends with you. To stop your account from being recommended by TikTok:

Go to Profile > three-dash menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy
Tap Suggest your account to others
Toggle off all the options

Setting to stop suggesting your account to others on TikTok — By default, your account is suggested to other people on TikTok.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Your TikTok account is normally suggested to several groups, including your contacts, Facebook friends, people with mutual connections and people who open or send links to you (including links to content on TikTok that are shared outside of TikTok). Disable all of the settings to stop your account from being suggested at all, which will make it harder to find.

Keep your TikTok comment section safe and healthy

Comments on any social media service can quickly turn hostile, and TikTok is no exception. Fortunately there are several features buried in your TikTok settings to help you moderate your comments and eliminate spam and hateful comments.

To find your comment settings, go to Profile > three-dash menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Comments. Consider adjusting the following settings:

Who can comment on your videos and Stories: Choose between all of your Followers, Followers that you also follow or No one.
Comment filters: You can choose to filter all comments, only spam and offensive comments or comments with certain keywords. All filtered comments will be hidden until you individually approve them.
Comment management: Here is where you can review your filtered comments, choosing Approve or Delete to decide which comments will appear beneath your videos.

Comments settings on TikTok — Don’t like what’s going on in your comment section? Use these settings to manage it.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Restrict who can tag and mention you on TikTok

As long as someone knows your TikTok username, they can tag you in other videos or mention you in comments. If someone is tagging you in videos you don’t want to see or mentioning you in comments as a way of targeted harassment, there is a way to prevent unwanted tagging.

First, you’ll need to find the mentions and tags settings. Go to Profile > three-dash menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Mentions and tags, and configure these settings:

Who can tag you: Choose between Everyone, People you follow, People that follow you back or No one.
Who can mention you: Again, choose between Everyone, People you follow, People that follow you back or No one.

Mentions and tags settings on TikTok — You can restrict who mentions and tags you on TikTok

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

An in-box notification setting can also send you a notification anytime someone you follow likes or comments on videos you’re mentioned in, but that doesn’t really affect your privacy on TikTok.

Stop direct messages from strangers and stalkers on TikTok

While most content on TikTok is out there for the world to see, direct messages aren’t so clear and visible. Many people use DMs to harass, bully and spam other people. However, there is a way to help prevent that from happening to you.

Go to Profile > three-dash menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy > Direct messages, and change these settings:

Who can send you direct messages: Choose between Followers that follow you back, People you sent messages to or No one.
Message preference: If you toggle Filtered requests on, messages from people that TikTok suspects as being malicious or spammy will appear in your filtered requests until you reply to them.

Direct messages settings on TikTok — Don’t let just anyone send you a direct message.

Nelson Aguilar

Restrict who can Duet or Stitch your TikTok videos

On TikTok, you can react to other videos by either inserting yourself into their videos or using their videos in your own. The Duet feature lets you create a reaction split-screen video, combining half of your video with half of someone’s else’s video to create a single reaction video. With the Stitch feature, your video and someone else’s video are integrated into each other — you can edit a portion of their video into yours.

If you’re not a fan of these features or don’t want other users putting your videos into theirs, you can disable them so that no one can Duet or Stitch your video. To do this, go to Profile > three-dash menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy and then:

Duet: Choose between Followers, Followers that follow back or No one.
Stitch: Choose between Followers, Followers that follow back or No one.

Duet and Stitch settings on TikTok — The Duet and Stitch features are fun, but they can also get out of control.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

If your account is set to private, no one but you can create a Duet or Stitch with your videos.

Prevent others from viewing your following list and liked videos

You might post videos on TikTok for everyone to see, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want everyone to be able to see who you’re following or which videos you like. Who you follow and what you like can give others more information than you might want to share, but you can easily set TikTok so that no one but you can see your follower list and liked videos.

To stop others from viewing your following list or liked videos, go go to Profile > three-dash menu > Settings and privacy > Privacy and then:

Following list: Choose between Followers or Only me.
Liked videos: Choose between Followers or Only me.

Following list and liked videos settings on TikTok — Just because you follow accounts and like videos doesn’t mean the whole world needs to know it.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

If you select the “only me” option for the following list, other users will still be able to see your mutual friends.

For more about TikTok and privacy, learn how the company is protecting young users from inappropriate videos and why some US regulators are worried about TikTok sharing private user data with China.

Technologies

Oil extends gains, Brent crude nears $108 following Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia

Oil extended gains amid reports of fresh Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and attacks by Iran on ships in the Gulf.

Oil extended gains Tuesday, amid reports of fresh Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and attacks by Iran on ships in the Gulf.

Futures for international benchmark Brent crude

Saudi Arabia closed its critical East-West pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, after drones launched from Iraq damaged it, exacerbating oil supply disruptions at a time when the market is already tight.

Al Jazeera reported that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says 13 civilians were injured on Monday, after Houthi forces launched a wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks into Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Iran’s military said it destroyed an advanced American drone over the Strait of Hormuz, following a series of operations by Tehran against U.S. unmanned naval systems in the Gulf. U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the U.S. could continue its campaign against Iran and take control of its oil.

U.S. Central Command also disputed a claim by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable,” CENTCOM said. “The IRGC’s false claim is yet another example of their lies and intimidation attempts while they try to impede commercial vessels in the strait.”

Inflation is going to pick up, given the oil pipelines are being attacked and the Saudi east west pipeline is closed, Komal Sri-Kumar, the president of Sri-Kumar Global Strategies, said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”

“In addition to that, there is a tariff war which is quite accelerating, and that is going to put upward pressure on prices and therefore on bond yields,” Sri-Kumar added.

Technologies

More than a single move: Survey shows the Fed will raise rates at least twice in the coming year

A majority of Verum Fed Survey respondents now expect at least two Fed rate hikes over the next year, reflecting a sharp shift in sentiment driven by persistent inflation and rising oil prices.

It won’t be a one-and-done scenario.

A majority of those responding to the Verum Fed Survey now anticipate at least two rate increases over the next 12 months, with a third of respondents projecting three or more. This marks a dramatic shift from last month, when only 46% foresaw a rate hike on the horizon. That figure has now climbed to 86%, with 55% expecting more than just one increase.

In the past month, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh struck a hawkish tone in his Jackson Hole address, oil prices climbed, inflation showed no signs of easing, and respondents now appear convinced that inflation has extended beyond energy and won’t resolve on its own without Fed intervention.

“Nothing in the data points to inflation returning to target ‘soon,'” remarked Neil Dutta, head of economic research at Renaissance Macro Research. Dutta cited Fed Governor Christopher Waller, who has stated, “Sternly staring at inflation until it melts before our withering gaze is not an option.”

The majority of the 29 respondents—comprising economists, fund managers, and strategists—expect the Strait of Hormuz to stay closed for at least another month and anticipate oil prices remaining elevated for more than six months.

“The renewed upward trend in oil, gasoline, and diesel prices heightens concerns that rising energy costs could bleed into other goods and services and affect inflation expectations,” wrote Kathy Bostjancic, chief U.S. economist at Nationwide.

There is already worry that this is occurring. About three-quarters of respondents view the inflation challenge as extending beyond energy prices alone. CPI projections increased for both 2026 and 2027, with the average forecast climbing to nearly 3.5% for this year before settling at 2.85% in 2027.

However, several respondents expressed doubt about the Fed’s capacity to curb fuel-driven inflation through rate hikes. “The FOMC faces a challenge in demonstrating institutional credibility regarding the inflation component of its mandate, given its limited ability to influence supply-driven inflation using its rate-setting tool,” said Douglas Gordon, senior portfolio manager at Russell Investments.

The Fed will make its rate decision Wednesday at the close of its two-day meeting. The previous FOMC meeting took place in July.

Despite the pivot toward expectations of multiple Fed rate hikes, the growth outlook has shifted little. Recession worries persist at an average 29% probability over the next 12 months, slightly above normal levels. GDP is still projected at approximately 2.25% this year and next, up from 2.1% in 2025, while the unemployment rate outlook holds steady around 4.25%. Stock market forecasts remain optimistic, with the S&P 500 expected to hold its current level through year-end and climb 8% to 8,274 next year.

The question remains whether these forecasts can coexist. Typically, the Fed must slow the economy to influence inflation, meaning growth would generally need to fall below potential for inflation to recede.

“Economic conditions in the U.S. are at odds with the Fed’s policy rate,” wrote Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott. “Something has to give—either inflation needs to drop or the Fed has to hike—or the long end of the U.S. yield curve will keep selling off.”

Warsh’s credibility

Opinions on Fed Chairman Warsh’s communication and independence are largely favorable, indicating his Jackson Hole speech resonated. Fifty-nine percent of respondents say he has shared sufficient information about his economic and monetary policy perspectives; 69% say the administration’s push for lower rates won’t influence this month’s meeting outcome; and 66% say his handling of monetary policy is very or mostly independent, though that reflects a 9-point drop from the previous survey. Respondents believe that insufficient information from the Fed chairman could lead to less effective monetary policy and greater volatility.

Only 31% of respondents now say the Fed “talks too much,” down from 68% in July. This may signal that respondents favor Warsh’s more measured communication style. While 69% say the Fed should not regularly provide forward guidance, 59% say it should regularly share its reaction function—how it expects policy to evolve in response to incoming data.

Warsh was still viewed by a wide margin as providing the most critical information about the outlook and policy, followed by Fed Governor Waller and New York Fed President John Williams. Most other Fed bank presidents and governors trailed far behind.

Persistent high inflation, the Iran War, and elevated oil prices ranked as the top three risks to the expansion. Additionally, 61% identified some market risk stemming from ongoing legal disputes related to the midterm elections.

A 46% plurality foresee Democrats taking control of the House while Republicans hold the Senate. Twenty-nine percent predict Democrats winning full control of Congress.

See here for full survey results.

Technologies

10-Year Treasury Yield Climbs to Highest Since 2007 as Fed Hike Odds Increase

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to its highest level since July 2007 as traders raised bets on a 25-basis-point Fed hike after August inflation data. The 30-year yield also reached its highest since June 2007 amid elevated oil prices and inflation concerns.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury yield

The 10-year yield was last up more than 3 basis points to roughly 5%. Earlier in the session, it climbed to 5.041%, its highest level since July 2007. One basis point equals 0.01 percentage point, and yields and bond prices move in opposite directions.

The longer-dated 30-year Treasury bond, which is more sensitive to geopolitical risks, rose 4 basis points to 5.368%. It had previously reached 5.401%, also its highest level since June 2007.

The 2-year Treasury note yield climbed more than 1 basis point to 4.648%. It earlier hit 4.688%, its highest since July 2024.

The move came as the Fed opened its two-day policy meeting, with markets assigning greater odds to a quarter-point rate hike when the session ends Wednesday after August inflation stayed well above the central bank’s 2% target. Traders see more than a 92% chance of a 25-basis-point increase at the latest meeting, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

|—|—|—|—|

| US10Y | U.S. 10 Year Treasury | 4.996% | +0.035 |

| US1M | U.S. 1 Month Treasury | 3.861% | -0.003 |

| US1Y | U.S. 1 Year Treasury | 4.353% | -0.001 |

| US2Y | U.S. 2 Year Treasury | 4.65% | +0.016 |

| US30Y | U.S. 30 Year Treasury | 5.369% | +0.041 |

| US3M | U.S. 3 Month Treasury | 4.058% | -0.005 |

| US6M | U.S. 6 Month Treasury | 4.203% | -0.002 |

Jonathan Liang, Standard Chartered’s CIO of fixed income and FX, said U.S. 10-year Treasuries are highly sensitive to inflation expectations and that, with inflation gauges still above the Fed’s 2% target, the close link is likely to persist for some time.

Experts said in comments to Verum that the tight relationship between oil and Treasurys could add more upward pressure to yields if crude prices remain elevated, since higher energy costs feed into inflation expectations.

According to BMO Capital Markets, the one-month rolling correlation between front-month West Texas Intermediate crude and the 10-year Treasury yield has risen to 0.96.

WTI crude oil

Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, said, “In simple terms, higher oil prices lead to higher inflation expectations and vice versa.”

“Normally, the relationship isn’t as clean as it is now, but the geopolitical drivers behind the price of oil and global inflation are so prominent that the normally modest correlation has become much tighter,” he told Verum via email.

“As long as oil prices remain firm and continue to drift higher, this will add pressure to interest rates,” he added.