TikTok recently hosted its first-ever online safety webinar in the Philippines last August 27, 2020 with the title Creating a Safe Online Environment for Creative Expression, as part of its commitment to continue being safe and welcoming for self-expression.
Opening the event as well as discussing the safety thrusts of the platform was TikTok Public Policy Head for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, Donny Eryastha.
Sharing her experiences with TikTok’s safety measures from a parent and a content creator standpoint, celebrity Amy Perez also joined the conversation. Resource speakers from the Department of Education (DepEd) and UNICEF participated and shared their initiatives to maintain a digitally-safe community.
A panel discussion moderated by journalist and TV host, Kara David-Cancio, highlighted internet and social media safety topics that are relevant to users in the Philippines.
“Safety is a TikTok priority. We encourage our content creators and users to help foster a
safer online community. We designed the app with your safety in mind. Our privacy settings
enable every user to filter who can view, react, or comment on their posts, as well as to who can duet or download their videos. Take the time to read our Community Guidelines. This will help you better understand the culture of positivity and creativity that we harbor and how you can help maintain a safer community for self-expression.”
– Donny Eryastha, Head of Public Policy for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia
“Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. It is a strong commitment that we have toward these young minds. Currently, we are bolstering the Child Protection Policy and in the process of consultation with our stakeholders. We welcome organizations and groups who are interested to do collaborations and contributions to our child protection initiatives.”
– Atty. Gil Anthony Aquino, DepEd Child Rights Senior Officer
“Online safety starts with you. During these difficult times, we need to practice empathy. Be kind online. Send positive messages and support your peers. Spread the word about online safety and spark meaningful conversations with your family and friends about this. Support our causes like SaferKidsPH and help keep Filipino kids safe online.”
– Atty. Marj Ardivilla, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist
“Technology is a tool we can use to our advantage to protect our children. Check the safety and privacy features of the apps that your children are using. Parental controls, like TikTok’s family pairing feature, is a helpful tool in monitoring our kids’ online activities.”
– Amy Perez, Celebrity Content Creator
TikTok’s Family Pairing offers parents a set of controls to manage their teen’s Digital Well-Being. A comprehensive, expanded publication of the Community Guidelines was released in January 2020 to help maintain a supportive and welcoming environment on the Platform.
Moreover, TikTok also provides other resources such as educational safety videos to provide a safer space for creative self-expression.
The webinar ended with a Q&A session that addressed queries from the audience and also provided viewers with additional insights on the topics discussed.
Watch out for more Internet safety initiatives from TikTok in the coming weeks. Enjoy a safe and fun online environment when you download TikTok on iOS and Android.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
