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TikTok has announced it is changing its virtual gifts policy as a response to a ´óÏó´«Ã½ investigation.

In July, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ revealed how children and teenagers were being pressured to buy digital items for "celebrities" on the platform.

In some cases, fans bought gifts worth hundreds of pounds - which could be swapped back for cash - in exchange for phone numbers and private messages.

TikTok said it is now limiting the activity to those aged 18 and above.

The move will restrict a revenue stream for the Chinese-owned company, which profited from the transactions. But it should also help it to address parents' concerns about whether its platform is a safe place for youngsters.

"Our updated policy will only allow those aged 18 and over to purchase, send, or receive virtual gifts," said TikTok in a statement.

"We are making these changes to foster a safe environment where users of all ages can enjoy a live-stream without encountering misuse, such as any pressure to send virtual gifts."

About one billion people use the international version of TikTok, which uses a different library of user-generated content to the China-focused version, known as Douyin.

The company said the changes would be rolled out globally over the next three weeks.