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

Russia hits Ukraine’s power grid, leaving 600,000 without electricity

Russia’s missile attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure left hundreds of thousands without power, amid disputes over a proposed ceasefire.

Russia launched an overnight strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing power outages for at least 600,000 residents in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy said there was extensive damage to 26 power system facilities and four oil and gas installations, as posted on X.

He said the missile attack on the energy sector was deliberate and large‑scale, noting that it contradicted the supposed energy ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Zelenskyy emphasized that the strike was meant to show disrespect toward the United States, something Russia had not done before.

The assault follows accusations from the Ukrainian president that Russia breached Trump’s proposal for both sides to halt attacks on each other’s energy facilities in order to lower oil and diesel prices.

Initially, both Russian and Ukrainian officials denied any knowledge of an energy ceasefire, but Ukraine has welcomed the concept while Russia says negotiations are continuing without confirming an agreement.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that, regarding the agreement’s status, they refer to Zelenskyy’s reaction, adding that Zelenskyy claimed he had not heard of such an agreement, welcomed clarification, and was open to a ceasefire, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This is breaking news; please refresh for updates.

Technologies

Philippine Central Bank Braces for ‘Godzilla El Niño’ Amid Inflation Struggles

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is preparing for a severe ‘Godzilla’ El Niño and oil shocks as inflation surges and rice prices climb.

BANGKOK — To combat inflation hitting three-year peaks, the Philippine central bank is preparing for a catastrophic “Godzilla” El Niño alongside a persistent oil price shock.

Governor Eli Remolona explained that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is now utilizing scenario-based policy planning that accounts for weather severity and oil costs. Speaking Wednesday during a panel at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, he distinguished between a standard El Niño and the “Godzilla” version, which he described as being significantly more damaging.

Remolona warned that the peak impact on pricing is likely between November and February, emphasizing that the central bank’s primary goal remains maintaining price stability.

“We’re holding our breath,” he remarked, “but we have to be prepared for the worst.”

These weather threats are placing additional strain on a highly susceptible Southeast Asian economy. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows inflation climbed to 7.2% in September, up from 6.1% in August, driven partly by an 18% surge in rice costs.

As the top global importer of rice, the Philippines faces significant food security risks. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel has cautioned that new droughts could deplete local supplies.

Increased imports from the Philippines may further strain a global market already impacted by export restrictions and El Niño. This trend is reflected in the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s rice price index, which has risen for six straight months to its highest level in 20 months.

In an effort to control rising prices, the central bank increased its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5% in August.

In a note released Wednesday, HSBC Bank’s senior ASEAN economist Aris Dacanay suggested that the BSP will likely implement another 25-basis-point increase to 5.25% next week, followed by a similar hike in December.

Technologies

CNBC Daily Open: Zelenskyy heads to UK for talks on fresh support

U.K. Prime Minister is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as European leaders rally to show support for the country.

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Hello, this is Justina Lee writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.

Taiwan has agreed to purchase 30% of gas sourced from a proposed liquefied natural gas project in Alaska, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.

The latest economic data coming out of Asia on Wednesday offers clues to the region’s growth outlook, with China’s producer prices rising at its fastest pace in over four years.

Meanwhile, over in Europe, the U.K. is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

What you need to know today

U.S. President Trump said at a rally that Taiwan has agreed to purchase 30% of gas sourced from a proposed liquefied natural gas project in Alaska, adding that the deal “guarantees a success.”

Trump has been increasing pressure on South Korea to participate in the project, cautioning earlier that he would charge the country more and threaten to double charges if Seoul failed to sign soon. South Korean media outlets speculated that Trump was referring to higher tariffs.

Zelenskyy to meet UK Prime Minister

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as European leaders rally to show support for the country. Zelenskyy will reportedly meet with EU leaders on Friday, on the second day of the European Council summit.

Burnham is expected to tell Zelenskyy that he has asked his ministers to draw up further sanctions, military support and fiscal packages to provide urgent support in the coming weeks.

It comes after Russia unleashed an attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight, leaving at least 600,000 people without power in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.

ASML results

ASML, a bellwether for the global chip industry, posted its third-quarter results on Wednesday. The Dutch semiconductor equipment maker said that some of its customers are expressing interest in placing orders for its critical semiconductor tools for 2029 and 2030 as AI demand remains buoyant.

The comments will likely comfort investors who have been looking to assess the longer-term demand outlook for ASML’s lithography machines.

Asia’s economic data

On Wednesday, traders continue to digest the latest economic data coming out of Asia, as they look for clues about the region’s economic outlook.

China’s producer prices in September rose at its fastest pace in over four years, due to higher fuel prices driving costs up for businesses.

Data out of Singapore on Wednesday showed that GDP growth softened to 5.4% in the third quarter, after hitting a four-year high in the prior quarter. A decline in the city-state’s manufacturing sector contributed to the slowdown, though this was offset by an expansion in the construction sector.

Over in the Philippines, the country’s central bank is bracing itself for a “Godzilla” El Niño, which is exacerbating the effects of a prolonged oil shock, as it tries to tame inflation from three-year highs.

Meanwhile, Korean automaker Hyundai Motor revealed it is planning a “strategic” $15.5 billion investment in the country by 2032. The company said India is a strategic core market to the firm’s emerging-market growth and expansion plans.

Higher oil prices weigh on sentiment

In the oil markets, Brent and WTI prices rose Wednesday amid concerns over supply disruptions as tensions in the Middle East continue to heat up between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

And finally…

Judge indefinitely blocks Trump White House from banning 3 media outlets

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., late Tuesday night issued an order indefinitely blocking the White House from enforcing the ban on three media outlets announced by President Donald Trump in mid-September.

The preliminary injunction by Judge Timothy Kelly extends his existing block on Trump’s ban of MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House complex.

Kelly, in a written opinion, said the three outlets were likely to succeed on a claim in their lawsuit challenging the ban that they were denied due process by Trump having summarily ordered them barred from the White House without a chance to argue against that action first.

— Dan Mangan

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