On 22 September, during 2025, when electricians broadcast live and short-video-borne windways continued to ferment, TikTok Shop officially announced the most stringent regulation of video content, which will be fully implemented globally as of 25 September. This policy refers directly to the proliferation of replicative, low-interactive video of the Platform ‘ s content, with the aim of reshaping a high-quality content environment by means of severe disciplinary mechanisms (such as restricted flow, seal).
According to Platform data, TikTok Shop’s global GMV (commodity total) has surpassed $150 billion, but content homogenization has led to a 15 per cent reduction in user retention rates, and the launch of the new regulations is seen as a critical step in the transition of the platform from “wild growth” to “light operation”. TikTok Shop’s updated Content Quality Guide identifies four categories of high-risk violations, with a focus on “low-quality content” using technology. These rules are applicable to all short video and live delivery, and the platform will automatically detect through the AI audit system, and account violations will face progressive penalties: first warning, subsequent restricted flow (50-80 per cent reduction in traffic) and direct permanent seals for repeat offenders.
There’s a lot of thunder and video:Batch uploading of highly similar video scripts or images is prohibited, such as repeated clippings of the same commodity in different accounts. Platform AI will compare video fingerprints with a similarity of over 80 per cent to trigger the alarm. A demonstration of commodities without a personalized scene:A one-size-fits-all static product lens or template-based demonstration will be considered “uninnovated”. The new rules require that videos be integrated into real life scenes, user stories or unique narratives, or otherwise considered low-interactive content. Mechanical decomposition and script:A robotic reading or a lack of emotional expression will be undermined. TikTok emphasizes the need for content to reflect “human interactions”, such as Q&A, user feedback or humor elements. Multi-account co-publishing similar content:A high degree of overlap between the same seller or union account will be considered to be “brush cheating”. This is directly aimed at the “matrix” strategy, and all associated accounts are liable to sit-in penalties for non-compliance. The official statement states: “We are committed to creating a true, pluralistic content ecology that protects users from low-quality interference.” The AI engine of the mechanism has been upgraded to support real-time monitoring of video metadata and interactive indicators (e.g., depth of comments, length of stay), with an estimated coverage of 95 per cent. Since its launch in 2024, the GMV Max (AI Smart Launch Tool) of TikTok Shop has promoted the sale of big-volume videos to capture traffic, but has also contributed to the misuse of black-product tools such as AB-caming, blending templates and water force interaction. Data show that in the first half of 2025, 30 per cent of the live video on the platform was suspected of being reused, resulting in a 20 per cent drop in the overall content quality rating. While these technologies have increased exposure in the short term, they have eroded user trust in the long term, with the GMV conversion rate falling from a peak of 45 per cent to 32 per cent.
To smooth the transition, South-East Asia sites (including Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia) took the lead on 15 September in strengthening the vetting process by introducing a “content purity” rating system, with a 40 per cent increase in the incidence of video violations. In the United States, “violations” are prohibited at the same time, such as false interactions and cross-border drawings, which will be carried out at the same time as the world on 25 September. The director of TikTok Shop, South-East Asia, said: “This wave test proved that the new regulations would increase the rate of high-quality content referral by 25 per cent and give vendors a level playing field”.