Children under 13 can only use a restricted version of TikTok called the Under 13 Experience. Users between 13 and 17 can access the platform but with some features disabled, and they need their parent or guardian's permission to use it.
This analysis describes what TikTok's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The provision operationalizes age verification and compliance mechanisms by designating distinct service pathways for minors, requiring parental involvement for users under 18, and authorizing the Platform to monitor and enforce age-based access controls through account restrictions or termination.
This provision establishes that users under 13 may only access the Under 13 Experience with limited data collection, users under 18 face feature restrictions and require parental consent, and parents or guardians who accept the terms on behalf of minors are contractually responsible for those minors' use of the platform.
How other platforms handle this
Our services are not directed to people under the age of 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use the services or submit any personal information to us... For users between 13 and 17, we provide additional privacy protection...
By creating a Microsoft account or using the Services, you accept and agree to be bound by these Terms and represent that you have either reached the age of "majority" where you live or your parent or legal guardian agrees to be bound by these Terms on your behalf. If you are the parent or legal gua...
The Services are not directed to children under 13. If you learn that your child under 13 has created an account on Duolingo, please contact us at privacy@duolingo.com. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13. Parents or guardians can create ...
Monitoring
TikTok has changed this document before.
Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 10 platforms.
"If you are under 13 years of age, you may not use the Platform, unless you are using the separate Under 13 Experience. A dedicated Children's Privacy Policy provides further details about how we collect, use, share, and otherwise process the personal information of users of the Under 13 Experience. If you are under 18 years of age, certain features on the Platform may be disabled or restricted for your use. We monitor for underage use of the Platform and we will ban your account or remove your access to certain features if we believe that you do not meet the minimum age requirements. If you are under 18 years of age, you must review these Terms (and our Privacy Policy) with your parent or guardian, and obtain their permission before you use the Platform. If you are the parent or guardian of such a user, you accept and agree to these Terms on their behalf and further agree that you are responsible for their use of the Platform.— Excerpt from TikTok's TikTok Terms of Service
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly engages the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which restricts collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. The FTC is the primary enforcement authority for COPPA. The adequacy of the Under 13 Experience as a COPPA-compliant mechanism depends on whether the separate Children's Privacy Policy and associated data practices satisfy COPPA's requirements for parental consent and data minimization. The document's reference to a separate Children's Privacy Policy for the Under 13 Experience is relevant to COPPA compliance assessment. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. COPPA compliance for the Under 13 Experience represents a high-exposure area given the FTC's enforcement history with child-directed platforms. The provision that parents and guardians accepting terms on behalf of minors under 18 are contractually responsible for those minors' use may create additional exposure if the platform's age verification mechanisms are inadequate. JURISDICTION FLAGS: Several states including California (AADC), New York, and Illinois have enacted or are developing child online privacy and safety legislation that may impose obligations beyond federal COPPA requirements. Platforms with significant minor user populations should evaluate exposure under these state frameworks, particularly regarding data minimization, algorithmic recommendation restrictions, and default privacy settings for minors. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations that make TikTok available to employees or users who may include minors should assess whether their own data processing agreements with TikTok adequately account for COPPA compliance obligations. Schools or educational organizations permitting student TikTok use should evaluate FERPA and COPPA interactions. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess whether TikTok's age verification and monitoring mechanisms for the Under 13 Experience meet applicable COPPA and state law standards. The Children's Privacy Policy referenced in this provision should be reviewed separately for data minimization, third-party sharing restrictions, and parental rights provisions. Any institutional use of TikTok in contexts involving minors should trigger a COPPA compliance review.
Full compliance analysis
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Free: track 1 platform + weekly digest. Watcher: 10 platforms + same-day alerts. No credit card required.
Professional Governance Intelligence
Need to monitor specific governance provisions?
Professional includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.
Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.
The provision operationalizes age verification and compliance mechanisms by designating distinct service pathways for minors, requiring parental involvement for users under 18, and authorizing the Platform to monitor and enforce age-based access controls through account restrictions or termination.
This provision establishes that users under 13 may only access the Under 13 Experience with limited data collection, users under 18 face feature restrictions and require parental consent, and parents or guardians who accept the terms on behalf of minors are contractually responsible for those minors' use of the platform.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TikTok.