TikTok launches 'kindness' features to help users be nicer to one another

Popular short video sharing app TikTok recently added new features aimed at helping its users be “kinder” to one another, by giving creators more control over their comment sections and asking users to reconsider objectionable comments, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday.

TikTok has now rolled out a new “Filter All Comments” feature, that allows content creators to simply block any comments from appearing on their videos until they are “approved” manually. This can be done using a new comment management tool from the company. The company said the new feature was built on the current work it has done so far on comment controls and keywords, which explains how the system is likely to work.

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However, this sounds like a very tedious task to perform when there are sometimes thousands of comments under a single post - popular posts could have more. “We know that comments are an important way for community members to connect with creators, and we’ll continue to develop ways to promote respectful discussion,” the company said on its blog.

The other feature TikTok announced is a reminder to its users to consider what they are about to comment if the company finds it might be inappropriate or unkind. The prompt will appear and ask users to consider the app’s Community Guidelines and will let them edit or modify their comments before they are posted. The pop asks users “Would you like to reconsider posting this?” and displays two buttons, “Post anyway” and “Edit”.

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The company also announced that it had partnered with the Cyberbullying Research Center, to “advance our knowledge of bullying on and off TikTok, collaborate on ways to better support our community members, and develop other initiatives to help our platform remain supportive and welcoming,” the company explained on its blog.