Protecting teen self-esteem: TikTok will block beauty filters for those under 18

TikTok is rolling out new restrictions on appearance-altering effects for users under 18. Specifically, advanced beauty filters like Bold Glamour. The move is in response to concerns about how those filters impact teens’ sense of self, including a study conducted with UK nonprofit Internet Matters, which found that while young people and parents were comfortable with comic effects like puppy ears and funny hats, they expressed unease about filters designed to “beautify” the user’s appearance.

Reasons for concern are twofold: teens can become so accustomed to seeing an enhanced, idealized version of themselves — bigger eyes, fuller lips, smoother hair, poreless skin — that they develop intense dissatisfaction with their regular face. Self-objectification and the risk of body dysmorphia are amplified by constant exposure to images of peers with similarly altered appearances.

In addition to age-restricted access to certain appearance effects for under-18s, TikTok is also updating its guidance for developers who create effects through the TikTok Effects House. While the initiative has garnered praise from some advocacy groups, critics argue it may be difficult to enforce. Nonetheless, the move signals a positive step toward addressing the repercussions of leading kids and teens to believe something’s wrong with how they look without a layer of AI and AR magic.