TikTok’s 2025 Community Guidelines update: new LIVE rules, AI policy tweaks, and personalized search
TikTok is rolling out a refresh of its Community Guidelines that takes effect on September 13, 2025. Most of the revision focuses on clearer language, but several changes stand out: a stronger nudge toward in-app shopping, deeper personalization across search and comments, and updated wording around AI-generated content.
Like other platforms responding to evolving regulations worldwide — including the UK’s Online Safety Act, the EU’s Digital Services Act, and U.S. laws aimed at youth safety — this update is more of an editorial clean-up than a dramatic policy shift. Still, creators and brands will notice practical impacts.
New expectations for LIVE creators. Hosts are explicitly responsible for everything that happens during a LIVE session, even when third-party tools are involved. If you use real-time translation, voice-to-text, or similar services to read viewers’ comments, you’re expected to actively monitor those tools and ensure they don’t trigger rule violations. In short: if it happens on your LIVE, it’s on you.
Commercial content and TikTok Shop. The guidelines reiterate that paid and promotional material must be disclosed. They also add a notable distribution change: in markets where TikTok Shop operates, content that steers viewers to purchase off-platform may have its visibility reduced. Practically, this encourages creators and merchants to keep purchase flows inside TikTok Shop when it’s available.
Personalized search and recommendations. TikTok now spells out that search results and recommendations can look different for everyone. Signals such as your watch history and past searches help rank what you see, making search results and search suggestions more tailored to each user.
Personalized comment ranking. Comment sections are also individualized. Replies may be ordered based on signals like your previous interactions — including replies you’ve made, likes you’ve given, and comments you’ve reported. The result: two people can view the same post but see a different comment order.
AI content policy, simplified. TikTok replaced some detailed examples about deepfakes with broader, plainer language. The platform now emphasizes it won’t allow AI or synthetic media that is misleading on matters of public importance or that harms individuals. References to AI endorsements seen in prior wording are gone — a subtle shift that could open the door to clearly labeled, consented uses while still restricting deceptive or harmful content.
FYF eligibility moved around. The For You Feed (FYF) Eligibility Standards section used to centralize a long list of ineligible content. In the 2025 update, that list is pared back, with specifics distributed across other guideline sections. It’s cleaner to read, although it means you may need to cross-reference multiple areas to check FYF eligibility.
Why TikTok says it moderates. The company’s rationale has been rephrased: instead of keeping the app “safe, trustworthy, and vibrant,” the update frames moderation as helping TikTok remain a “safe, fun, and creative” place for everyone. The removal of “trustworthy” is a small but notable tone change.
Key takeaways for creators and brands:
• Audit your LIVE workflows and third-party integrations; you’re accountable for their output.
• Use clear disclosures for ads and sponsorships.
• In TikTok Shop markets, avoid pushing viewers to buy off-platform if you care about reach.
• Treat AI and synthetic media cautiously: don’t publish anything that could mislead on public-interest topics or harm people.
• Expect personalized search and comments; what you see (and what your audience sees) will vary by user.
• Revisit FYF guidelines across sections, since ineligibility details are no longer in one single list.
Overall, the September 13 update refines how TikTok communicates long-standing policies while inserting a few creator- and commerce-focused tweaks. If you publish LIVE content, run social commerce, or experiment with AI, it’s worth reviewing the full text before the changes take effect.
