As part of its bigger monetization efforts, TikTok is providing a new control option for creators who use its live streaming service. This will allow them to silence comments from certain viewers within streams for varying periods of time. A live stream host can now mute certain viewers or the entire stream to keep them from interfering with their show.
The host, or any authorised assistance, can temporarily silence a nasty viewer for a few seconds or minutes, or for the length of the Live Broadcast. In the event a user’s account is muted for an extended period of time, the person’s complete comment history will be erased as well. Comments on LIVE can already be disabled or limited using a keyword filter by the host. TikTok hopes that these new controls will further empower both hosts and viewers to enjoy safe and interesting Livestreams.
Having the ability to delete all of the prior comments from a user is a significant improvement that might make live-stream engagement easier to manage and lessen the number of distracting comments.
This has long been a source of contention. In 2018, Twitter was obliged to tighten its restrictions on live-stream interaction after numerous studies revealed that women and young people in particular tended to draw all kinds of nasty remarks and comments during their broadcasts.
A brand- and consumer-safe environment also needs to be provided by TikTok in order to optimise its appeal, with the company looking towards live streaming commerce through various collaborations with well-known companies. Knowing how to rapidly switch off and lessen the influence of insensitive critics could be a useful addition.
In July, TikTok added a new live-stream moderators option to give users more control. With this update comes a more comprehensive look at how TikTok handled platform rule infractions between April and June of this year, as shown in TikTok’s newest Community Guidelines Enforcement Report.
Since it eliminated over 81 million films in that time frame, the platform is now viewing more than 90 million videos uploaded every day, suggesting that TikTok is currently seeing more than 1 per cent of all videos posted on the platform. This is understandable considering the app’s current user base of one billion, but it does open up new opportunities for the platform’s expansion.
About 93% of the videos had already been detected and removed by the time a user reported them. In comparison to our previous report (81.8 per cent), 87.5% of the removed content had no views.
As of March, TikTok began sending out alerts asking users to think twice before posting potentially unpleasant comments. This has had an effect, according to TikTok.
About 4 in 10 users choose to withdraw and alter their comments as a result of the prompts. “Even though not everyone chooses to change their comments, the impact of features like this encourages us to keep working on new interventions to guard against abuse.”
Similar prompts have been deployed by Twitter and Instagram, and this research suggests that they may help to reduce the amount of anxiety expressed in replies.
TikTok places a high priority on user safety, as the app’s attractiveness to younger audiences can lead to unintended exposure and connection if not properly monitored. With concerns about its previous moderation processes, defined by Chinese regulations, TikTok is aware that it is under heavy scrutiny on this front and that it needs to work hard to maintain trust. The platform has been criticised in several regions in the past for failing to protect young users from harm.
Since a result, taking steps like these is critical, as they’ll help the app attract more advertisers by creating a more secure and friendly atmosphere.
