TikTok Updates Its Community Guidelines: What to Know

TikTok recently announced a new batch of updates to its Community Guidelines. While most of the changes are positioned as “clarifications,” a few key points stick out, and brands and creators should take note. 

The new version officially goes live on September 13, 2025, and is meant to simplify the rules around how TikTok moderates content and determines what gets surfaced in the all-important For You Feed (FYF). Tucked inside that cleaner language are important signals about where the platform is heading, especially regarding commerce, personalization, and AI.

Keep reading for what you need to know. 

TikTok Shop is Taking Center Stage

One of the most eyebrow-raising updates relates to commercial content. According to these new guidelines, posts that direct users to purchase outside TikTok’s marketplace may see reduced reach “in markets where TikTok Shop is available.”

AKA: If you use your posts to direct traffic to your brand website (or another third-party retailer) vs. utilizing TikTok Shop, expect less visibility. This doesn’t mean you can’t promote off-platform products, but it does reinforce where TikTok wants attention and transactions to stay.

Personalization Is Going Beyond the “For You” Feed

TikTok is already personalizing content in the FYF, but the new guidelines reveal that the same logic is now being applied across search results and comments. 

• Search results will be customized based on what a user has searched and watched in the past.
• Comment sections will be sorted differently for each user based on likes, replies, and previous behavior.

Now, two people watching the same video may see entirely different search suggestions and comment conversations. This level of personalization is great for users, but it also means brands must stay sharp with targeting and context. Generic content has less and less room to perform.

Live Creators Are Now Fully Accountable

There’s a new section just for LIVE creators, and it’s very clear: you are responsible for everything that happens on your livestream, even if it comes from a third-party tool, like a real-time translation or voice-to-text plugin.

If a comment is auto-read aloud in a way that violates TikTok’s rules, the creator is still held responsible. This is worth noting for creators using automation or plugins in their live streams.

AI Content Rules Are Now More Open

TikTok hasn’t dramatically changed its policy regarding deepfakes and synthetic media, but the language did soften.

The previous version explicitly barred “fake endorsements” and “unauthorized AI versions of public figures.” That line has now been replaced with broader language about content that can be “misleading about matters of public importance.”

Does it open the door to approved AI-generated celebrity endorsements in the future? Maybe. At the very least, it suggests TikTok is evolving its AI guidelines to align with how creators and brands are already using these tools.

Most of the guideline update is “cleanup,” but the direction of travel is clear.

• More personalization.
• More accountability.
• A stronger push toward keeping users (and purchases) on the platform.

If your brand is active on TikTok AND  if you’re driving traffic off-platform, now’s the time to revisit your strategy.

Does your business have a TikTok strategy in place, or are you looking to create one? Call, DM, or email sbellem@brookstone.com. Our team is here to help your business shine on social media, no matter what platform updates come next!