TikTok Announces Launch of Hashtag Content Filters and New Safety Tools

TikTok has announced new content moderation tools for the short-form video platform to make it safer for children, along with new hashtag filters for its For You and Following feeds.

tiktok logo
The first version of its new system to restrict certain types of content from being viewed by teens is called "Content Levels," which is due to launch in the next few weeks.

While adult content is banned on the platform, TikTok says some content in the app may contain "mature or complex themes that may reflect personal experiences or real-world events that are intended for older audiences." Content Levels is designed to classify such content and assign to it a maturity score, which will keep it from being seen by users aged between 13 and 17.

Initially, TikTok says Trust and Safety managers will assign the scores to increasingly popular videos or those reported by users in the app, and the system will be expanded over time to offer filtering options for the entire community, not just teens. In its finished version, the system will ultimately allow creators to classify their content, similar to the way movies, TV shows, and video games use age ratings.

In addition to Content Levels, TikTok will soon launch hashtag filters that provide users with a new level of control over what appears in the For You and Following pages. Users will be able to designate specific words or hashtags they don't want to see in their feeds, and the app will automatically filter them out.

The feature is intended to go beyond merely filtering out mature or problematic content, and could also be used to stop TikTok's algorithm surfacing topics that users are sick of seeing or that they just don't care about. TikTok's example is using it to block dairy or meat recipes if you're going vegan, or to stop seeing DIY tutorials after a home project is completed.

The new content moderation features follow a 2021 Congressional inquiry into social apps like TikTok regarding how their algorithmic recommendations could be promoting harmful eating disorder eating content to younger users. More recently, TikTok was also sued by parents whose children died after attempting dangerous challenges allegedly seen on the platform.

Tag: TikTok

Popular Stories

ios 19 messages app

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:40 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June. In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

Ranked: The Best Features Rumored for the iPhone 17 Lineup

Wednesday July 16, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great. Top Tier Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone's Thickness and Price Range Detailed in New Reports

Wednesday July 16, 2025 11:31 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599. With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...

Top Rated Comments

MBHockey Avatar
39 months ago
why are people still using this chinese spyware?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
39 months ago
TikTok and safety measures is an oxymoron.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
39 months ago
Where is the button for teens called "Delete Tik Tok from face of Earth"?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rocko99991 Avatar
39 months ago
This app needs to burn in hell.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
d5aqoëp Avatar
39 months ago
Please ban this app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rp100 Avatar
39 months ago
weird, my iPhone already has a feature which handles this “problem”:

Attachment Image
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)