TikTok plan to ban teens using beauty filters

TikTok has announced it will be placing age restrictions on some of its filters in coming weeks.

The plan means people under the age of 18 won't have access to beauty filters, which people can use to change their appearance.

More obvious filters which are meant to be funny, such as animal ear filters, won't be affected.

The move follows a report, commissioned by TikTok, exploring how young people may be affected by filters that change users' appearance.

What did the TikTok beauty filter research show?

The TikTok restrictions won't affect funny filters

The Unfiltered: report said both teenagers and parents had concerns about 'appearance' filters on TikTok.

One of the concerns the authors of the report raised was that people using the app may not realise when content has been altered.

Often the changes to appearance can be very small or subtle, making them more difficult to spot.

Those taking part in the research also said that, as these altered images become normalised, they may distort people's understanding of what is real - meaning users could be comparing themselves to "impossible beauty standards".

"With the funny ones, its “oh, that’s hilarious”, said one young person from the USA.

"But I feel like with beauty, it’s changing how you look and present yourself."

There are concerns beauty filters on apps like TikTok could be having a negative impact on young people

Both the young people and parents in the study were worried beauty filters could be particularly problematic for some users, particularly girls, who feel pressure to meet certain beauty standards, or who might compare themselves to others.

"I tested an effect…that would make my lips look bigger. From never having had anything against my lips before, I can no longer look at them without feeling that they are far too small and should look more like the effect. In this way, filters can also give me body complexes and anxiety," said one young person from Sweden.

It suggests filters that enhance certain features and reduce others could lead some young people to have a poor body image.

According to the report, many of the young people who took part supported the idea of labels being introduced to make it clear a photo or video had a filter on it or had been edited.

The authors of the report said it could help to counter "anxiety and low self esteem" because users could "understand that the images they looked at had been altered".

The young people taking part also said it might help put people off using unrealistic, idealistic filters altogether.

"Maybe people would stop using filters because it becomes more obvious if there is always a label on the image or video," said one young person.

Why do some experts see beauty filters as a problem?

It isn't just girls who are impacted by altered images on social media

Beauty filters have been heavily criticised as research suggests some young people are relying on them when posting images of themselves online.

The most recent figures from the organisation Girlguiding found 54% of girls aged 11-21 wanted to look like how they did while using filters on social media and 36% said they felt pressure to use beauty filters.

Experts have long criticised tools on social media apps that allow people to change how they look.

They are concerned about how comparing unrealistic, enhanced images online with their own real-life looks could negatively affect certain users feelings about themselves.

The Online Safety Act will require technology companies to do more to help keep children safe on the internet

The changes from TikTok come ahead of new rules being added to the Online Safety Act, due to come into force next year, which will require technology companies including social media platforms to take more action to help keep children safe on the internet.

Speaking ahead of changes to the act, Dr Antonis Kousoulis from the Mental Health Foundation said: "We must act now to understand how standalone image-editing apps, and popular in-app filters on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, influence children and young people's body image and their mental health."