TikTok rolls out its own strike system for creators who violate its rules

  • TikTok is introducing a revamped “account enforcement system”.
  • This comes in a series of changes which includes a new strike system and features that allow creators to check if their content has been blocked from recommendations.
  • Changes come amid a push from TikTok to increase transparency around content moderation and algorithmic recommendations.
  • TikTok say that they will also provide creators with new tools to view how many strikes their account has had over the last 90 days.
  • To read the full story, go to the Engadget website.

What is the Mascara TikTok trend?

  • TikTok users have been using the word ‘Mascara’ to talk about relationships in a way which avoids TikTok’s censorship filters.
  • The term #Mascara has reached more than 100 million views in less than two weeks.
  • At the beginning of the trend, it was quite ‘wholesome’ as described by the BBC, with people saying the likes of, “I’ve had my mascara since I was 14 and there’s nothing like this one anywhere else”.
  • Shortly after, the trend had sexual connotations and then became a way of discussing sexual assault and trauma, with one user saying his mascara was tried “without my consent”.
  • For more, go to the BBC’s website.

Call for participants to take part in survey about young children’s exposure to digital technologies

  • Researchers from universities, including Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) are seeking parents and carers of children aged between 0-3 years, to take part in a survey for the ‘Toddlers, Tech and Talk’ research project.
  • The research is funded by the ESRC and will look at how families use digital devices and parental/carer attitudes towards them for this group of young children.
  • The project is led by researchers across universities in the UK and is one of the most in-depth studies to date exploring families and young children’s’ digital usage and the impact it has on children’s language development and interactions.
  • Data shows that children’s online activity grows each year, but little is known about how the youngest use technology.
  • For more information, please visit the QUB website.