TikTok announces new protective measures for teenage users in latest safety push

Limits on direct messaging and post reach are among the changes

A young girl uses the TikTok app on a smartphone (Peter Byrne/PA)

TikTok is to limit the direct messaging abilities of accounts belonging to 16 and 17-year-olds as part of a new wave of security features designed to protect younger users.

The video-sharing app said a change to its privacy settings will see the ability to direct message others on the site turned off by default for those teenagers.