Creator Guide to Prohibited Behaviors and High-Risk Regulated Goods
Key takeaway: TikTok Shop’s Prohibited Behaviour and High-Risk Regulated Goods policies apply to how you present products, not only to what you sell. A product may be eligible for sale while the content used to present it is not compliant.
Use this guide to recognize prohibited presentations, understand the enforcement differences between categories, and check your content before you publish a video or start a livestream.
In this guide, you will learn about:
- How TikTok Shop assesses creator content under these policies
- How to distinguish prohibited behaviour from allowed product presentation
- What triggers enforcement for high-risk regulated goods and how penalties differ
- How to review your content before publishing and appeal a violation
Related policies:
High-Risk Regulated GoodsHow These Policies Apply to Creator Content
Product eligibility does not guarantee that the way you present a product is compliant. TikTok Shop considers your intent and behaviour by assessing the video title, description, spoken words, on-screen text, actions, visuals, and background audio.
Prohibited Behaviour
This policy covers content in which a creator shows an intent to depict, promote, facilitate, or engage in prohibited activities, even if the featured product is allowed for sale. The activities below are examples and are not an exhaustive list.
Inappropriate Surveillance
Inappropriate surveillance means tracking or monitoring people without their knowledge or consent in places where they expect privacy.
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Decision boundary: Home security, self-protection, and legitimate product reviews are allowed. Showing people how to spy on, track, or record others without their knowledge or consent is not.
Hate Speech and Hateful Ideologies
This means content that promotes, glorifies, or engages in hate speech targeting protected attributes, including through products being sold.
Protected attributes: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, immigration status, caste, tribe, and serious disease.
Don’t | Do |
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Decision boundary: A personal opinion about policy may be allowed. Attacking people because of their identity is not.
Violent Extremism
This means content that promotes, glorifies, or idolizes violent extremism, including extremist organizations, activities, ideologies, recruitment, or symbols.
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Decision boundary: Political views that do not promote violence may be allowed. Promoting, glorifying, idolizing, or recruiting for violent extremism is not.
High-Risk Regulated Goods
This policy covers content that depicts, promotes, uses, or implies the use of high-risk regulated goods in videos and livestreams, even when you are not selling those products directly.
Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia (Highest Severity)
This category includes cannabis, THC, CBD-infused products, bongs, pipes, rolling papers for illicit substances, and related accessories.
Tobacco, Nicotine Products, and Smoking-Related Tools
This category includes cigarettes, cigars, vapes, e-cigarettes, nicotine products such as ZYN nicotine pouches, rolling papers, lighters marketed for smoking, and similar items. Enforcement applies when the tobacco or nicotine product is the main focus of the content.
What Triggers Enforcement
Your content may trigger enforcement when it includes any of the following:
- Depiction: showing drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco, nicotine products, or smoking tools in a video or livestream
- Consumption or usage: visibly smoking, vaping, or using these products on screen
- Promotion: glorifying, encouraging, or endorsing the use of these products
- Implied intent of use: using commonly known slang or showing contextual behaviour, such as visible smoke or vapor linked to a person or physical signs of substance use
Enforcement
Penalties differ by category and by whether the violation occurs in a video or a livestream.
Category | Video penalties | Live penalties |
Prohibited Behaviour |
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Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia |
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Tobacco, Nicotine Products, and Smoking-Related Tools |
| Progressive enforcement:
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Best Practices
Before you publish, ask:
- Does my content show how to use a product to spy on, track, or record someone without consent?
- Does my content mock, insult, or dehumanize anyone based on who they are?
- Does my content promote or glorify violent extremism?
- Does my content show, promote, or imply the use of drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco, nicotine, or smoking-related products?
If the answer to any question is yes, revise your content before publishing.
- Focus on legitimate product features. Explain what the product does, not how to misuse it.
- For surveillance products, frame the content around home security, personal safety, or property protection.
- Avoid language that implies secrecy, non-consent, or spying on others.
- Do not use hateful, degrading, or dehumanizing language or imagery about any group.
- Do not show yourself or others smoking, vaping, or using drugs on screen while promoting products.
- Avoid slang terms associated with drug use or smoking culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers address common questions about applying policies to creator content.
Can I feature a product that is allowed on TikTok Shop?
Yes, but product eligibility does not make every presentation compliant. Your title, description, spoken words, on-screen text, actions, visuals, and background audio must also follow the content policies.
Can I demonstrate security cameras or smart glasses?
Yes, when the purpose is legitimate, such as home security, property protection, personal safety recording, or a product-feature review. Do not show how to secretly record, track, or monitor someone without their knowledge or consent.
Can I share political or public-policy opinions?
Yes, if you do not attack people based on protected attributes or promote violence. Policy opinions are different from degrading or dehumanizing people because of their identity.
Can my content violate the policy without showing direct use?
Yes. Implied intent of use can trigger enforcement, including commonly known slang, visible smoke or vapor linked to a person, or physical signs of substance use.
Can I show tobacco or nicotine when it is not the main focus?
The source states that enforcement for tobacco and nicotine content applies when the product is the main focus. Review the full presentation carefully, including visuals, words, actions, and audio.
Can I receive different enforcement depending on the category or format?
Yes. Prohibited Behaviour and Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia carry a 60-day commission freeze and CHR minus 24 points, while Tobacco, Nicotine Products, and Smoking-Related Tools carry a 30-day commission freeze and CHR minus 8 points for video violations. Live penalties also differ, including progressive enforcement for tobacco and nicotine content.
Can I appeal a violation?
Yes. You can appeal directly in the TikTok app, and no additional materials are required.
Appeals
If you receive a violation under either policy, you can appeal directly in the TikTok app. No additional materials are required.