Regulated Goods and Commercial Activities
Last updated, March 2023
We want everyone on TikTok to have access to information that can support them in making informed choices about their personal health and finances. To ensure we provide a space for people to learn without undue risk of physical or financial harm, we moderate content that involves goods or activities that may be risky, addictive, dangerous, fraudulent, or otherwise require a higher degree of care. For certain goods and services (such as gambling and alcohol), we make limited exceptions for paid ads by advertisers with TikTok’s explicit permission, provided they are compliant with all relevant age-targeting restrictions, laws, and regulations (learn more about our advertisement policy).
Gambling
Many people around the world find entertainment through games of chance. While TikTok is an entertainment platform, we recognize that risking money in a game or a bet may lead to potential harm for some people, including serious financial loss or addiction. We do not allow the promotion of gambling services.
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Gambling is betting money (including digital currencies such as bitcoin) or something of monetary value on an event with an uncertain outcome, to try and get a financial gain.
NOT allowed
- Promoting gambling services, such as casinos, poker, slot games, roulette, lotteries, betting tips, gambling-related software, and apps.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs
While adults make personal choices about how they engage with alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, we recognize that there are risks connected to trading and using these substances. We do not allow showing or promoting recreational drug use, or the trade of alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs.
We also recognize that using these substances can put young people at a heightened risk of harm. We do not allow showing or promoting young people possessing or consuming alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs.
Content is age-restricted and ineligible for the FYF if it shows adults consuming excessive amounts of alcohol or tobacco products.
Learn more about substance use and find information for treatment, support and recovery resources.
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Tobacco products include vaping products, smokeless or combustible tobacco products, synthetic nicotine products, E-cigarettes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems.
Regulated substances include prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, compressed air canisters (whippets), and nitrite poppers.
NOT allowed
- Showing or promoting young people possessing or consuming alcohol, tobacco products, drugs, or other regulated substances
- Showing or promoting adults consuming drugs or other regulated substances for a recreational purpose
- Showing the misuse of common household items or over-the-counter products to get intoxicated, such as antihistamines, nutmeg, nitrous oxide canisters, and sniffing glue
- Providing instructions on how to make homemade spirits, drugs, or other regulated substances
- Facilitating the trade or purchase of alcohol, tobacco products, drugs, or other regulated substances
Age-restricted (18 years and older)
- Consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol by adults
- Consumption of tobacco products by adults
FYF ineligible
- Consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol by adults
- Consumption of tobacco products by adults
Allowed
- Raising awareness about substance misuse and sharing recovery stories
- Advocating for the reform of drug policies and regulations
Firearms and Dangerous Weapons
TikTok can be a place that educates people on the responsible use and ownership of weapons, as well as the associated potential for serious harm. Firearms and explosive weapons can cause severe injury or death, especially when used in an unsafe manner. We do not allow the trade of firearms or explosive weapons, or content showing or promoting them if they are not used in a safe or appropriate setting.
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Firearms includes professionally manufactured firearms, improvised firearms (such as ghost guns and 3D printed guns), firearm accessories, and ammunition.
Safe or appropriate settings include professional contexts (such as military and police), recreational environments (such as shooting ranges and hunting), educational forums, and fictional settings.
NOT allowed
- Showing or promoting firearms or explosive weapons that are not used in a safe or appropriate setting
- Facilitating the trade of, or offering instructions on how to make, firearms or explosive weapons
Trade of Regulated Goods and Services
Regulated goods and services often play an important and essential role in people’s lives. And it is important to understand that these items are regulated for a reason. TikTok is not a place for illegal traffic or trade, or an unofficial market (Black or Gray markets). We do not allow facilitating the trade of regulated, prohibited, or high-risk goods and services, such as alcohol, tobacco products, regulated substances, firearms and other dangerous weapons, sexual services, animals, or counterfeit goods. This includes instructions on how to manufacture regulated substances or firearms.
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Facilitation of trade includes the sale, purchase, redirection, exchange, and giveaway of regulated goods and services. This includes providing webpages or physical locations, sharing contact information, and redirecting people to interact on or off-platform (including direct messaging).
Tobacco products include vaping products, smokeless and combustible tobacco products, synthetic nicotine products, E-cigarettes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems.
Regulated substances include prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, compressed air canisters (whippets), and nitrite poppers.
Firearms includes professionally manufactured firearms, improvised firearms (such as ghost guns and 3D printed guns), firearm accessories, and ammunition.
NOT allowed
Facilitating the trade of regulated, prohibited, or high-risk goods and services, including the following:
- Alcohol and tobacco products
- Illegal drugs, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and other regulated substances
- Firearms and explosive weapons
- Counterfeit products, such as luxury goods
- Fake currency, documents, and stolen information
- Sexual services, including offering or asking for sexual services (solicitation), sexual chats, imagery, pornography, member exclusive content, and streaming of adult content through a webcam, such as stripping, nude modeling, and masturbation (sexcamming)
- Live animals, and any part of an endangered animal, such as products and medicine made from elephant ivory, tiger bones, rhino horns, and sea turtle shells
- Any items that promote hate speech, hateful ideologies, or hateful organizations, such as books and clothing with hateful logos
Commercial Disclosures and Paid Promotion
We value authentic viewpoints and want people to be open and honest about any goods or services discussed on our platform. To avoid misleading people, it is important to acknowledge any material relationship with a third party that may be relevant to the crediblity of your statements. Creators who promote goods or services in return for something of value must disclose it using our branded content tool or a caption in video (if the tool is unavailable in your region). This includes paid partnerships and brand endorsement. For other types of material relationships, the creator must also make a clear disclosure about such connections in a video caption.
We do not allow any form of paid political promotion on TikTok. Learn more about our policy regarding Government, Politician and Political Party accounts.
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Material relationship refers to a relationship that may have a significant impact on the credibility of any representation or endorsement and that would not be reasonably expected. This may include personal, family, employment, and financial relationships.
Branded content is content that promotes goods or services where you receive something of value from a third party, such as a brand, in exchange for your post. This includes content that is required to be disclosed by your local laws or regulations.
Disclosures are clear statements that explain your relationship to a third party. Relationships include receiving financial compensation from, having a relative who works for, and being an employee of that third party.
Something of value may refer to cash payments, free products, store credit, discounts, and special access to products, services, or events.
REQUIRED disclosures
- Branded content, by using the branded content toggle (or a caption in video if the tool is unavailable in your region)
- Information about your own business, when it might not otherwise be clear from the context that you may benefit from future commercial transactions
- Affiliate and referral links that are included in an independent review of a product or service and which may result in a referral fee or a commission for any subsequent purchase
- Research about a product, service, or industry when you have a relationship or connection with a company or industry involved in the manufacture or sale of that product or service
Frauds and Scams
We want people to be able to use our platform to learn about ways to be financially responsible and consider economic transactions or investment opportunities, without worrying about scams or financial exploitation. We do not allow attempts to defraud or scam members of our community.
Learn more about how to identify online scams and protect yourself.
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Frauds and scams are deceitful and deceptive acts that often exploit others for monetary gain or to obtain an individual’s personal information.
NOT allowed
- Financial and individual-targeted scams, identity theft or phishing scams, and scams related to investments, financial transactions, or jobs
- Coordination, facilitation, or instructions on how to carry out scams
- Organizational fraud, such as money laundering and moving illegally acquired money for someone else (money muling)
- Recruitment for companies that sell products or services in a pyramid structure through independent distributors (multi-level marketing or MLM)
- Facilitating the trade of fake currency, documents, and stolen information