Chinese version of TikTok limits use of app by those under 14

A man holding a phone walks past a sign of Chinese company ByteDance's app TikTok, known locally as Douyin, at the International Artificial Products Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China October 18, 2019. Picture taken October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer/Files

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese short video app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, said on Saturday that all of its authenticated users below the age of 14 will now access the app in a "youth mode", in its push to shield the young from inappropriate content.

In the youth mode, under-14 users can only access the app for up to 40 minutes a day, and only between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., Douyin, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, said in a statement.