Social media platform Tiktok has requested Nepali users and content creators not to disclose highly personal identifying information such as mobile numbers and to report any harmful content immediately.

A representative of the company said that a strong mechanism is in place to deal with the report. In the program held on Saturday, Tiktok said that it is also preparing to ban 'beauty filter' and 'body filter'.

In the 'TikTok Safety Ambassador Program' held on Saturday, Global Communications Representative of ByteDance, the parent company of Tik Tok, Imad Zafar informed that a new strategy has been adopted for the safety of users in Nepal. According to Zafar, Tiktok currently has a team that understands Nepali language and culture.

"If you as a creator encounter any objectionable comments, abuse or threats, please inform us using the report feature in the app," he said, "We have prepared a special team for proper investigation and management of the reported content. All reports may not be addressed 100%, but we are constantly improving and our services are effective.' 

In collaboration with the Nepal government, Zafar also says that the company has paid attention to the identification and management of harmful materials. In accordance with the provisions of the 'Guidelines for Regulating the Use of Social Networks' issued on 11th November 2080, the government started the process of registering complaints online. Section 13 of the

directive states that a social media management unit shall be established and the unit shall register complaints related to social media use. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has launched a system where complaints can be registered online last January. Complaints can be registered by visiting the 'Social Media Complaint Registration' icon on the Ministry's website. 

According to Zafar, Tiktok is going to ban the 'beauty filter' and 'body filter' for users aged 13 to 18, keeping in mind the mental health of children and teenagers. He said that the company is of the opinion that teenagers of that age are not mature enough to make decisions about the effects of using such filters.

"We are implementing such a policy globally," he said, "We are prepared to prevent them from using this feature in our app because teenage children are not aware of the mental effects of such filters."  Sarika Iqbal, Communications Associate of Tiktok, in the

program, specifically requested not to share highly personal identifying information such as mobile numbers on Tiktok. She clarified that the purpose of Tiktok organizing various events in Nepal is to provide information about digital literacy and online safety and listen to the concerns of users. 

Tiktok has selected social media influencers including Sushant Pradhan, Osin Sitaula, Parakram Rana, Manjita Manandhar, Rashtra Vimochan Timalsena, Mr. Pandey as 'Safety Ambassadors' for the purpose of creating awareness to keep users safe digitally. Iqbal said that since their fans listen to influencers, it will be easy to take digital safety measures to common users. During the discussion session with Tiktok's digital ambassadors in the

program, they shared their experiences while in the online space and the lessons they learned from it. "I used to get a lot of negative comments on queer content that I post, but I didn't stop because I was saddened by it," Parakram Rana, who advocates on social issues including sexuality, said, "I feel the need to keep making content to remind you that we are human beings like you and we too exist." .' 

Mr. Pandey, an active news anchor on social media, said that as a journalist, he always tries to present the facts when he gets the trick of spreading false information. Television presenter Oisin Situla also said that she faced threats of rape online and attempts to terrorize her in person and faced many challenges when she had to go through the legal process. She said that after entering the digital space, it is necessary to build stamina to face hateful comments.