TikTok, like other social media apps, has implemented certain restrictions over the years to prevent younger users from viewing more explicit content. A user must be 13 years old to use the platform, and some content will be restricted until you reach the age of 18. However, over the past year, some users over the age of 18 have reported TikTok restricting their access to specific posts with the error message “Post unavailable: This post is age-protected.”
If you are over the age of 18 and are receiving an unexpected ‘age-protected’ error, here are a couple of solutions to help you deal with this error.
What You Should Know
- If you are under the age of 18, you cannot view age-restricted content on TikTok. Restricted Mode can be turned off if you are over the age of 18.
- If you accidentally entered your birthdate, you can contact TikTok and show proof of your age to update your profile.
- To access restricted content, create a new TikTok account with an age of 18 or older.
How To Fix Tiktok’s “This Post Is Age-Protected” Error
#1. Disable “Restricted Mode”
- Navigate to your profile on TikTok.
- Select the menu icon.
- “Settings and privacy” should be selected.
- Select “Digital Wellbeing” from the drop-down menu.
- “Restricted Mode” should be selected.
- Tap the “Turn off” button.
- After you’ve tapped “Turn off,” you must enter the passcode you’ve created.
You must ask for the passcode if someone turned off restricted mode for you.
Restricted mode restricts videos that may be offensive to some people.
As a result, if you want to see all videos on your “For You” page, you must disable the restricted mode.
#2. Get in Touch With TikTok (For Assistance or To Change Your Birthday).
- Navigate to the “Share your feedback” section.
- Please enter your email address.
- Fill in your TikTok username.
- Choose “Change account information” as the category, and then click OK.
- Select “Other” or “General question” as the subcategory.
- In the “How can we help?” field, describe your problem.
- Fill out the form and submit it.
Additional Information
You must describe your problem in the “How can we help?” field.
For example, if you accidentally set your age to 13 but are actually 18 years old, you must describe this.
You can also include a photo of your ID to prove your age.
After submitting the form, you must wait a few days for TikTok’s response.
TikTok will respond via email, so check your junk/spam folder as well.
If you are 18 years old but receive the “age-protected” error, select the “Report a bug” category rather than the “Change account information” category.
Here’s an example of a description:
“Good day, TikTok.” I’m 18, but I still get the age-protected error when I watch certain TikTok videos. Please assist me in resolving this.”
On the app, you can also report a problem by going to your profile > Menu > Settings and privacy > Report a problem.
#3. Register for a New TikTok Account
The last option is to open a new TikTok account.
This is the best way to avoid the “This post is age-protected” error.
When creating a new TikTok account, you must enter your age as 18 or older.
This is because if you set your age to 13, you will not have access to many TikTok features.
This includes the ability to view videos that have been identified as inappropriate.
Understanding TikTok’s Age-Restricted Posting System
TikTok’s Age-Protected Post System is one of the features that distinguishes it from other social media platforms. This system is intended to prevent minors under a certain age from viewing videos on the platform that are deemed inappropriate or sensitive. In this section, we will provide an overview of this system and explain why it was created to address specific issues with the app.
- Age-Protected Post: An Age-Protected Post is a TikTok feature that allows creators to upload videos that only users of a certain age group are permitted to watch. This means that if a creator wants to upload a video that is only appropriate for users over the age of 18, they can limit the video to that age group only.
- Why was it implemented: This age-restricted feature was created to protect minors on TikTok while also fulfilling the company’s responsibility as a social media platform. Given the high number of minors on TikTok, a mechanism to protect them from inappropriate content was critical.
- The system affects the following age groups: The Age-Protected Post system is intended to protect minors under 18 and adult users. The app has different age settings, including settings for 13-15-year-olds, 16-17-year-olds, and adult users who are 18 years or older.
Why Age Restrictions Are Important: Safety Concerns
- TikTok provides parental control tools to protect minors from inappropriate content exposure and interactions with unwanted contacts. Parents, for example, can link their accounts to their children’s accounts, limit screen time, and limit DMs. These safeguards ensure that minor users are not exposed to inappropriate content and reduce the risk of predators looking for opportunities to exploit young users.
- Because social media platforms such as TikTok contain content that may be inappropriate for children, age restrictions are an important tool in protecting them. To protect young users, age restrictions act as a filtering mechanism, ensuring that specific content, services, or requests are purposefully hidden. For specific content and information, social media platforms must target the appropriate audience.
- Without age restrictions, minors’ mental and physical well-being may be jeopardized, and they may fall victim to cyberbullying, online predators, or other dangerous online activities. Unrestricted social media use may also have long-term effects on children, such as addiction, hampered social development, contributing to poor academic performance, or increased risk of mental health problems.
Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Age-Restricted Posts
TikTok’s Age-Protected Posts can be extremely useful in providing additional privacy and limiting the audience of specific posts. Users should follow some basic guidelines when using Age-Protected Posts. These guidelines are as follows:
Description of How to Use Age-Protected Posts Properly
- Use age restrictions to limit who can see sensitive posts.
- Make certain that the content of an age-protected post is only appropriate for the age group chosen.
- Use age-restricted posts with caution. When used excessively, they can prevent a large portion of your followers from seeing your content.
Discussion of the User Compliance Issue
Even if age restrictions are in place, TikTok users may lie about their age or share their passwords with younger family members or friends, allowing them to access content that is not appropriate for their age. This raises questions about user adherence to the age restriction system. It is critical that users adhere to TikTok’s community standards and age restriction guidelines.
Consequences of Improper Use of Age-Protected Posts
Incorrect use of Age-Protected Posts can have serious consequences. Posting inappropriate or misleading content to younger audiences not only violates TikTok’s community standards but also has serious legal consequences. Users must be responsible and create age-appropriate content for their intended audience. Misuse of the age-protected feature may also result in flagging or removal of content, resulting in a loss of visibility and followership.
By adhering to these guidelines, TikTok users can fully utilize the Age-Protected Post feature, limiting inappropriate content to unintended audiences and, as a result, contributing to a safer online community.
What is an Age-Protected TikTok Post?
An Age-Protected Post is a TikTok feature that allows users to restrict a video’s audience to users who are at least 18 years old or have specified their age as 18+. This is intended to keep minors safe from potentially harmful content.
Age restrictions on social media platforms like TikTok are important because young users are especially vulnerable to online risks like cyberbullying, predation, and exposure to inappropriate content.
What are the dangers of young TikTok users?
Young TikTok users face risks such as exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, predation, and the possibility of addiction to the platform.
How can TikTok users resolve age restriction issues?
If you’re having trouble with TikTok’s age restrictions, try updating your birthdate on your profile, verifying your account, disabling “Restricted Mode,” or setting up a new account. If none of these solutions work, you can contact TikTok support.
Conclusion
Finally, addressing age restriction issues on TikTok is essential for ensuring minors’ safety on the platform. Age-Protected Posts have been put in place to address these concerns, but problems can still occur for various reasons. Some solutions to age-restriction issues, as discussed in this article, including updating your profile information to remove incorrect birthdates, contacting TikTok support for assistance, disabling “Restricted Mode,” or setting up a new profile.
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