TikTok, one of the country's most used social media platforms, on Thursday launched an initiative in partnership with content creators and advocates to promote the online safety of youth.
The #ThinkTwice Troop is an advocacy program comprised of a network of academies, child safety experts and child rights organizations that will help TikTok advance its digital safety initiatives, including its previously ongoing #ThinkTwice campaign.
“So, we want to have a team we can always talk to and trust that can help us tackle some of the toughest challenges we face, as well as new challenges we may not even know about (on teen digital safety),” explained Yves Gonzalez, head of public policy for the Philippines at TikTok. businessworld On the occasion of media launch event.
TikTok said the program represents a holistic approach to teen safety through mentorship, educational programs and partnerships.
Mr. Gonzalez also said that through his partners, he can help educate teachers and parents about the tools available on TikTok for the digital safety of teens.
#ThinkTwice Troupe's initial partners include organizations such as Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia), Ateneo Human Rights Center, and content creators Mona “Mighty Magulang” Magno-Veluz and Ryan Portuguez.
The public policy chief said these partnerships are just a start, but the ultimate goal is to expand the initiative across the country.
“So, I hope that by the end of this year, we will have partners and military members from the Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.
Hazelyn Joy Bitana, Deputy Regional Executive Director of CRC Asia, said the #ThinkTwice Troop connects with the work of civil society organizations to protect young people while allowing them to thrive in the digital sphere.
“We believe that parents, teachers, and the public and private sectors must work together to empower adolescents as they navigate the online world in the exercise of their rights and responsibilities,” Ms. Bitana said.
Meanwhile, TikTok highlighted tools on the platform to ensure the digital safety of youth, including more than 50 teen safety features, Family Pairing, For You feed controls, and a Time and Wellness section.
The platform also noted that it enforces minimum age requirements through a neutral age gate, machine-learning technology, and a trained moderation team that reviews suspected underage accounts using community or parent reports as additional signals.
If no successful appeal is submitted then accounts marked as underage are suspended and permanently banned.
From July to September 2025, TikTok removed more than 22 million accounts globally that were suspected of having users under the age of 13, making the company the first major platform to publicly disclose such data. — Age Adrian A Eva