Reading latent values and priorities in TikTok's community guidelines for children

Abstract

This mixed-methods study analyzes TikTok's Community Guidelines to understand how ByteDance balances competing priorities around protecting children. The analysis reveals that TikTok employs three interconnected strategies: scaffolding rules by age and risk, segmenting content with tailored policies, and siloing features from children. Underlying these are latent values of positivity, proactivity, and precision that serve priorities of appeasing stakeholders, preempting regulation, and fostering a positive public image. By examining how these strategies and values work together, the study contributes a novel analytical framework for understanding the complex dynamics of youth governance on platforms. The findings illustrate how platform policy documents strategically navigate complex tensions governing children's participation.