TikTok disable public audio

Headphones are the lifeblood of the modern commuter. Whether on a train, bus, or plane, having access to headphones allows you an escape from the world. You can listen to podcasts, music, or scroll through your favorite social media application. It’s a great way to kill time while on the go.

However, somewhere along the way humanity lost the plot. A select few decided it was acceptable to ditch headphones and use phone speakers to listen to audio. I don’t have a problem if you do this in the comfort of your home, but blasting your social feed to anyone within earshot on the subway is bonkers.

I’m typically protected from this because I live in Orange County and spend most of my commute in a car rather than public transit. If I go on a plane or Subway, I have my headphones charged and ready to go. However, others are not so considerate.

This got me thinking… what if apps like TikTok could detect when people are listening to audio in public without speakers and automatically block them from doing so? This is unhinged in that it feels like a privacy invasion, but at the same time, they’d be doing so many people a service by prohibiting obnoxious ambient noise in public.

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