Kanye West Asks For Advice After Kim Kardashian Puts North On TikTok 'Against His Will' — Kim Responds
These two need to keep it offline.
DKSStyle / Shutterstock / TikTok Kim Kardashian has responded after Kanye West took to Instagram to ask for advice on their ongoing divorce proceedings.
The latest in a growing list of disagreements between the former couple is over their oldest daughter, North West, and her TikTok account that she shares with Kardashian.
Kanye West objects to Kim Kardashian allowing North on TikTok.
In all capital letters, West asked his Instagram followers what he should do given that he doesn’t want his daughter posting on the video-sharing app.
“SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST DIVORCE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO ABOUT MY DAUGHTER BEING PUT ON TIK TOK AGAINST MY WILL?” he wrote.
Kardashian, however, shut down West’s remarks in a lengthy statement shared on Instagram.
"Kanye's constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create," she wrote, in part.
"As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision - because it brings her happiness.”
Kardashian's response drives home the need for this family matter to be kept private — and left up to a judge to decide. And she's probably right, but West may be raising good points about his children's safety online.
North West’s TikTok has attracted a mixed reaction.
North West, 8, and Kardashian have been actively posting on TikTok since November on her @kimandnorth account.
However, West has repeatedly expressed his objections to his child having access to the app.
In an interview last month, West – who now legally goes by Ye – said, "Don't have my daughter wearing lipstick on TikTok — or don't have her on TikTok at all — if I'm not there to approve that."
“My children ain’t going to be on TikTok without my permission.”
Aside from being another chapter in the increasingly tumultuous Kimye divorce, West’s perspective on North’s TikTok does raise an interesting debate about the safety of children on the app.
North West’s TikTok raises questions about the app’s safety features.
TikTok has specific guidelines created to protect younger users, but it appears Kardashian and North have been able to bypass that.
Ordinarily, users under the age of 13 have access only to a limited app experience – "TikTok for Younger Users."
In this feature, users cannot post their videos, comment on others' videos, message with users, or maintain a profile or followers. They can play around with some of the video-making features and view a curated feed but that’s about it.
TikTok users between the ages of 13 and 15 also face some restrictions. TikTok defaults these accounts to private and users must approve followers and allow comments.
However, at 8-years-old, North has an account with over 5 million followers. Commenting features are disabled but TikTok users can still send North’s videos to one another on the app and share them on social media.
North’s bio does specify that the account is “managed by an adult” and Kardashian appears in many – but not all – of her videos.
But, even the details of Kardashian’s control over the account is a source of debate.
North West has used TikTok without Kim Kardashian’s supervision in the past.
In December, North’s followers caught her using TikTok’s live stream feature to speak directly to her millions of followers. Kardashian was nowhere to be seen in the early minutes of the stream.
In the brief clip, North enters her mother’s bedroom and informs her that she is on a livestream.
"No stop, you're not allowed to!" Kardashian responds before the stream cuts off.
The brief video likely wasn’t a big deal in North’s life and every parent can relate to their kid pushing boundaries and breaking the rules they set for them online.
However, the livestream did raise some eyebrows over whether Kardashian is actually supervising North’s TikTok usage.
Of course, this is a debate that should probably be kept between West, Kardashian and their lawyers and will likely only be settled by their custody agreement.
But, in the age of social media, Kardashian and West’s disagreement does add a new dimension to the complicated nature of celebrity divorces.
Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her Twitter for more.