TikTok trying hard to appeal to US lawmakers with stricter rules for its "For You" page

TikTok is in troubled waters while it's fighting for its future with US legislators. Now, Engadget reports that the app will be implementing stricter guidelines and penalties for creators who post potentially 'problematic' content.

TikTok will make sure it doesn't recommend "problematic" content and penalize creators

Right now, TikTok is trying to convince US lawmakers and regulators that its app is safe for teens. And just in the midst of that, the company has announced new updates that will take effect in May. TikTok has provided a long list of content that's not eligible to get recommended on people's "For You" pages.

The list includes some obvious choices but also some content seen as "controversial" like for example weight loss or dieting content, which will fall under the "dangerous activity and challenges" category. Also, clips from users under 16 will also not appear on the "For You" page.

Additionally, a wide range of content that could be misinformation or conspiratorial is also on the list. Examples include unproven recommendations to treat a minor illness, showing a crowd at a music concert and claiming it's a protest, or misrepresenting authoritative sources such as selectively referencing scientific data to come to a conclusion not made in the study.

On top of that, TikTok will also penalize creators who disregard the new guidelines and will make their entire account ineligible for recommendations. Also, those accounts may become "harder to find" in search.

TikTok is also introducing a feature dubbed "account status" which will help creators check if they're following the rules. The feature will also show strikes to the account or posts that violate the guidelines. You will also be able to perform an "account check" to see if you're blocked from recommendations because of breaking the rules.