Tiktok rolled out an updated version of the Community Guidelines on September 13, 2025, with a revision that reshapes how creators, brands and users interact with the short video platform.
While much of the document has been rewritten for ease, the changes reflect a focus on Tiktok’s e-commerce ambitions, personalization tools, and AI-driven content policies.
The important addition highlights Tiktok’s stance on commercial content. Now, the platform says creators must disclose their commercial partnerships. Additionally, content that instructs users to purchase non-Tiktok products will warn that it will confirm that it will reduce visibility in the regions operated by Tiktok Shop.
Tiktok Live’s Accountability
Creators who host Tiktok Live sessions face more severe responsibilities. The updated rules emphasize that hosts are responsible for everything that occurs during live streams, including automatic translations and third-party tools such as text to speech services.
If these tools generate harmful or rule-breaking content, Tiktok will retain the person in charge of the creator.
Personalization works deeper
This update reveals how the Tiktok ecosystem is personalized. Beyond For Feed, the platform now customizes the search results and comments section.
Search results will adapt to the user’s past search and display habits, but comments will be ordered based on signals such as replies, likes, and reports. This means that no two users can see the same conversation thread.
Tiktok’s stance on AI-generated content has not changed dramatically, but its language has been streamlined.
Instead of banning AI content that displays “fake authoritative sources” or “false support,” the new guidelines prohibit content that “misleading about issues that are important or harmful to an individual.”
The omission of language on AI-driven support raises questions about whether Tiktok remains open for the future.
We will supply distributed rules for you
The platform has also revised how it describes feed (FYF) eligibility. Previously, we listed all ineligible content in a single section. Currently, these rules are scattered across different sections, making it difficult to find a comprehensive overview.
Softer framing for content moderation
Tiktok has tweaked the reasons why it moderates its content. Previously, we assembled moderation as a way to keep the platform “safe, reliable, vibrant.”
Instead, the new language brands Tiktok as “a safe, fun and creative place for everyone.”
The revision is as the social media giant faces an increase in surveillance of regulations under laws such as the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), and the US Takedown Act.
