TikTok LIVE and gifts: the risks for teens
How TikTok LIVE and virtual gifts work, why they can lead to spending and exploitation, and what parents should know.
- Hosting LIVEs and sending gifts are restricted to users 18 and over.
- Gifts are bought with real money and can add up quickly.
- LIVE can expose young people to pressure and exploitation, especially when viewers send gifts in exchange for requests.
TikTok LIVE lets users stream video in real time to viewers who can comment and send virtual gifts. Gifts are bought with TikTok coins, which cost real money, and can be converted into earnings for the person streaming.
The age rules
According to TikTok's rules:
- You must be 18 or older to host a LIVE.
- You must be 18 or older to buy coins and send gifts.
These rules depend on age being entered accurately, and TikTok also uses age detection to find underage hosts. Even so, underage users do sometimes appear on LIVE, often by lying about their age or appearing on someone else's stream.
The risks
Spending
Gifts range from a few coins to very expensive ones. In the excitement of a LIVE, it's easy to spend a lot quickly, especially with a saved payment method.
Exploitation through gifts
Some viewers send gifts in exchange for requests, which can escalate. Young people appearing on LIVE, even on an adult's stream, can be pressured to do things on camera in exchange for gifts. In the worst cases, LIVE has been used to exploit children. See OSAEC in the Philippines.
Contact from strangers
LIVE comments are visible to everyone watching. Viewers may ask personal questions or try to move conversation to private apps.
Real-time exposure
Live video can't be edited. Children may reveal their home, school, location or other details without realising.
What to do
- Make sure your teen's account has their real age.
- Don't save a payment method on the account or phone. See stopping surprise purchases.
- Talk about LIVE: who they watch, and whether they've ever appeared on one.
- Agree on a rule: no appearing on LIVEs, their own or others', until they're 18.
- Watch for signs of unexplained money, gifts or new "friends" who send them things.
If your child is being pressured
If someone is asking your child to do things on LIVE or in private in exchange for gifts or money, treat it as potential exploitation. Save evidence, report the account in TikTok, and report to the CICC (1326). See how to report online child abuse.
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