Terms of Service

TikTok · agreement dated July 15, 2026 · Official agreement

90 cards.

Last updated: July 15, 2026

Welcome to TikTok.

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) are an agreement between you and TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC (“TikTok USDS Joint Venture,” “we,” or “us”), the operator of the Platform in the United States, which governs your use of or access to the Platform defined below. Please read these Terms carefully.

You form a contract with us when you accept these Terms or when you otherwise use or access the Platform.

If you agree to these Terms on behalf of a business or organization, you confirm that you have the right to enter into these Terms on its behalf.

If you are under 13 years of age, or under 14 years of age in Florida, you cannot use the Platform, unless you are using the the separate experience of the Platform in the United States (the “Under 13 Experience”) which limits the information we collect and includes additional safety protections.

In short: This is a contract between you and TikTok USDS Joint Venture. You should read it. By using the Platform, you are agreeing with these Terms.

1. What services are covered by these Terms

These Terms govern your use of our services, which include TikTok applications, websites, software (e.g. the TikTok embeddable media player), features, technologies, and related services (e.g. enabling third party search engines to surface public TikTok content), accessed or delivered via any platform or device (the “Platform”), except where we state that other terms apply.

Any services you access through your TikTok For Business, TikTok Ads Manager and TikTok Business Center accounts are governed by the separate terms applicable thereto.

In short: These Terms apply to your use of the Platform, except where we state that other terms apply.

2. Additional terms and policies that might apply depending on the services you use

Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines. And, depending on the specific services you use, the additional terms and policies listed below or that are otherwise made available to you may apply (“Additional Terms”). If you use such services, the Additional Terms become part of these Terms. If any specific provision of the Additional Terms conflicts with these Terms, the specific provision of the Additional Terms will prevail with respect to your use of the applicable services.

In short: These Terms cover your use of the Platform. There may be some additional terms and policies that apply, depending on how you use the Platform.

3. Using the Platform

3.1 The services we provide to you

We operate the Platform for you and others to create, view, interact with, and share content, and engage with others throughout the TikTok community. We work with our service providers and business partners, such as BD TikTok USA LLC (hereinafter referred to as "TT Commerce & Global Services") and its affiliates, and our affiliates, to provide certain important functions of the Platform so that you and other users can use it and enjoy a global experience, including in connection with e-commerce, marketing, advertising, and other commercial services and activities.

To make the Platform more relevant and enjoyable for you, we customize parts of your experience on the Platform to show you creators and content we think you will be interested in, including ads and other content sponsored by or in collaboration with our creators and our partners. We customize what you see on the Platform based on, for example, the users you follow and engage with, your interests and activity on the Platform, popularity of videos, diversity among content, your device and account settings, and language preference. We may also customize your experience, including the ads you see on and off the Platform. Based on the settings we offer, you may control how your information is used to inform the ads we show you.

We want the platform to be a safe place, where people can be who they are and have fun. To help protect you and others in our community, we work with our affiliates, service providers, and business partners who may use a mix of technology (including through automated means), human moderation, and reports from our users and others to identify suspected violations of these Terms, our Community Guidelines, and other conditions or policies. To do your part to help keep our community safe, you are encouraged to report any suspected violations through the reporting functionalities provided on the Platform or here.

In short: We operate the Platform for you and others, and we may work with our affiliates, service providers, and business partners. We customize parts of your experience on the Platform to make it more relevant and enjoyable for you. We may take steps to identify and take action against content that may violate our Terms, Community Guidelines, and other conditions or policies, to protect you and others in our community.

3.2 Account details

You can use some basic features of the Platform without having an account. If you use the Platform without an account, then these Terms still apply to you.

To access the full functionality of the Platform, you must create an account with us. We may offer different types of accounts.

You represent and warrant that all information you provide to us when you create an account, and when you access and use the Platform, is and will remain complete and accurate. See our Help Center for information about creating an account.

It is important that you take reasonable steps to keep your account password confidential and that you do not disclose it to any third party. If you know or suspect that any third party knows your password or has accessed your account, please let us know here. Do not give others access to your account, or transfer your account to anyone else, without our permission.

We may revoke, reclaim, and/or reassign the username of your account in certain circumstances, such as, when you have not logged into your account for 180 days, if we ban your account, or if we reasonably believe that your username violates our Terms, Community Guidelines, or other conditions or policies, and/or interferes with or infringes upon the rights of other users.

In short: Your account is important. Keep it secure. Keep your details up to date. We may revoke, reclaim, or reassign the username of your account under certain circumstances.

3.3 Minimum age

We want the Platform to provide a safe and positive experience.

If you are under 13 years of age, or under 14 years of age in Florida, you may not use the Platform, unless you are using the separate Under 13 Experience. A dedicated Children's Privacy Policy provides further details about how we collect, use, share, and otherwise process the personal information of users of the Under 13 Experience.

If you are under 18 years of age, certain features on the Platform may be disabled or restricted for your use.

We monitor for underage use of the Platform and we will ban your account or remove your access to certain features if we believe that you do not meet the minimum age requirements. You can appeal our decision to ban or restrict your account if you think we should not have done so.

If you are under 18 years of age, you must review these Terms (and our Privacy Policy) with your parent or guardian, and obtain their permission before you use the Platform. If you are the parent or guardian of such a user, you accept and agree to these Terms on their behalf and further agree that you are responsible for their use of the Platform.

In short: If you are under 13 years of age, or under 14 years of age in Florida, you cannot use the Platform unless you are using the Under 13 Experience. We will ban your account if we become aware that you are under 13 and not using the Under 13 Experience. You must review these Terms and our Privacy Policy with your parent or guardian if you are under 18.

3.4 What you can’t do on the Platform

These Terms and our Community Guidelines, apply to everyone and to all content on the Platform. If you want to use the Platform, you can’t create, post, share, link to or otherwise interact with content in violation of them.

For example, you must not use, or help anyone else use, the Platform to:

In addition, you certify that you are not:

In short: Enjoy using our Platform and, for the benefit of all of our users, make sure you follow the rules. If you see something that should not be on our Platform, please tell us.

3.5 Ownership of content and grant of licenses

Your Content includes content you create, import, upload, publish, or generate with the Platform, including messages. Your Content also includes prompts, questions, files, and other types of information that you submit to our AI-powered interfaces ("Input") together with the responses those interfaces generate ("Output"). Except with respect to TikTok Content and unless expressly stated otherwise, as between you and TikTok USDS Joint Venture, you own Your Content.

Due to the nature of generative AI, output may not be unique to a specific user, and your ownership of Output does not extend to other users' output.

If you choose to submit comments, ideas, or feedback to us, you give us permission to use them in connection with the Platform and any other services that we choose, for any purpose, without any restriction or compensation to you. You agree that we do not have to consider or act on them, return them, or keep them confidential. We will own all rights in anything we develop based on your comments, ideas, or feedback.

You represent and warrant that you have, and will continue to have, all necessary rights in and to Your Content, including licenses, consents, and permissions necessary to create, post, input, and distribute Your Content on the Platform. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes any music that you use which was not selected from the TikTok music library; learn more here.

Separately, we may make certain content available on the Platform for you to use in accordance with these Terms, including images, designs, videos, filters, text, music, or sounds (“TikTok Content”). We, or the rights holders of such content that let us provide it to you, retain all rights in and to the TikTok Content.

To provide the Platform, we need certain rights from you (called a license).

By creating, inputting, publishing, and otherwise providing Your Content on or to the Platform, you grant to TikTok USDS Joint Venture a license to use Your Content that is:

Our license to use Your Content includes our rights to access, reproduce (e.g. to copy), distribute, share, download, adapt or make derivative works (e.g. to translate and/or create captions), perform, and communicate Your Content to the public (e.g. to display it), for the purposes of operating, improving, and providing the Platform and developing new technologies (including training, testing, and improving our machine learning models and algorithms) and services for TikTok USDS Joint Venture and our service providers and business partners, consistent with these Terms and subject to your Platform settings.

Depending on your Platform usage, including your sharing activities and settings, you also grant to each user of the Platform a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual and irrevocable, worldwide license to use Your Content, including to access, reproduce (e.g. to copy), distribute, share, download, adapt or make derivative works (e.g. to include Your Content in their content), perform, and communicate Your Content to the public (e.g. to display it), in accordance with these Terms.

We retain all our respective rights, title, and interest, including intellectual property and other proprietary rights, in and to the Platform, including its generative AI-enabled features, and we reserve all rights not expressly granted in these Terms.

In short: When you create, import, upload, publish, or generate content to the Platform, it remains yours, but you grant us a license to use Your Content to operate, develop, improve, and provide the Platform, and to develop new technologies. If you choose to make Your Content available to others, we can show it to other users and those other users may be able to use Your Content too. We retain all our respective rights in and to the Platform and our technologies.

3.6 Removing or restricting Your Content

It is important that you understand the following with respect to the content that you create, post or share on the Platform:

  • We may remove or restrict access to any content, including yours, whether publicly or privately posted, for any reason, including if (a) it violates these Terms, our Community Guidelines, or other conditions or policies, (b) it may cause harm to, or violate the rights of, our users, TikTok USDS Joint Venture, our affiliates, or other third parties, or (c) we are required to do so to comply with a legal requirement or court order, or are permitted to do so by law. Our Community Guidelines further describe why content might be removed or restricted on the Platform.
  • You can delete specific videos from the Platform at any time, or all of Your Content by deleting your account as described in Section 5 “Suspending or ending our relationship.” We will no longer publicly display your deleted content except as provided in Section 3.5 “Ownership of content and grant of licenses” (which explains, for example, that Your Content will remain publicly accessible on the Platform if it has been incorporated into content posted by other users).

In short: We may remove or restrict access to Your Content, and you can delete Your Content, in accordance with this Section and our Community Guidelines.

3.7 Posting Branded Content

In short: Where you post about a brand or its products or services in return for payment or any other incentive, then you should read our Branded Content Policy and ensure you follow those rules and other applicable laws and guidelines, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides.

3.8 Permissions you give TikTok USDS Joint Venture

To help us provide the Platform, including to give our users a better experience, you agree that we can:

In short: To help us provide the Platform, including to give our users a better experience, you agree that we can undertake the activities described in this Section.

3.9 Respecting the intellectual property rights of others

We respect copyright and other intellectual property rights and expect for you to do the same. You agree to the terms of our Intellectual Property Policy. You can report suspected infringements of your intellectual property rights on the Platform here:

In short: You should read our Intellectual Property Policy and must follow those additional rules.

3.10 Using our generative AI features

We may provide and make available to you generative AI-enabled features (and their related services, applications, products and content) for you to provide Input and generate Output as described in Section 3.5.

Output is provided "as is" and is made available to you without any representations or warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. You are responsible for your Input and your use of Output, and for all consequences resulting therefrom, and you agree that you will not use, attempt to use, or help anyone else use or attempt to use, the Platform, including its generative AI-enabled features, in violation of these Terms. You understand that no contract or enforceable promise between you and TikTok USDS Joint Venture can be created or modified by any Output, and you agree not to:

In short: You are responsible for your Input and your use of Output, and you agree not to provide, create, or otherwise use Input or Output in violation of these Terms, our Community Guidelines, or other conditions or policies or any applicable laws, or in a way that infringes rights.

4. Limitation of liability

The Platform is provided “as is.” We and our affiliates make no guarantees that the Platform, including its generative AI-enabled features, will be safe, secure, and free from errors, or that it will function without interruption, delay or defect.

To the maximum extent permitted by law: We and TT COMMERCE & GLOBAL SERVICES, ALONG WITH EACH'S AFFILIATES, AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND ADVISORS, DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, VALIDITY, REGISTRABILITY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE. Users and others are solely responsible for their content and use of the Platform. We are not responsible for users’ and others’ actions or conduct (whether on or off the Platform) and we do not guarantee the accuracy, integrity, appropriateness, or quality, of any content that users and others share on the Platform (including offensive, inappropriate, obscene, unlawful, and other objectionable content). You acknowledge that we have no obligation to pre-screen, monitor, review, or edit any content posted by you or other users on the Platform.

In addition to the limitation above, to the maximum extent permitted by law: WE AND TT COMMERCE & GLOBAL SERVICES, ALONG WITH EACH'S AFFILIATES, AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND ADVISORS, MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO YOUR USE OF OUR GENERATIVE AI-ENABLED FEATURES AND OUTPUT. Your use of Output, and of our generative AI-enabled features, is at your own risk, and to the maximum extent permitted by law, you bear all consequences of your use of Output. TikTok USDS Joint Venture does not endorse any content included in Output, and Output does not reflect our views, or those of our affiliates or personnel. You are responsible for reviewing, verifying, and deciding how to use Output, and you should not rely on Output as a source of truth or fact, as a substitute for professional advice, or to inform decisions related to e.g., health, finance, or law. Due to the inherent limitations of generative AI, Output you generate may be inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, objectionable, inappropriate, unlawful, and unfit for a particular purpose, and by using the Platform, including its generative AI-enabled features, you recognize and assume this risk.

EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE WHICH MAY BE INCURRED BY YOU AS A RESULT OF:

Our liability and that of our affiliates and business partners shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Under no circumstance will TikTok USDS Joint Venture or our affiliates, service providers, or business partners, including TT Commerce & Global Services, and its affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, and advisors, be liable under these Terms, whether in an action in tort (including negligence) or contract or otherwise for any punitive, consequential, incidental, exemplary or special damages, or any damages that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time that these Terms were entered into by the parties, or any damages based on lost profits (whether incurred directly or indirectly), loss of reputation or diminution in value, loss of goodwill, loss of opportunity, loss of anticipated savings, loss or corruption of data suffered by you, or indirect or consequential losses which may be incurred by you, even if TikTok USDS Joint Venture has been advised of the possibility of such damages. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the maximum aggregate liability of TikTok USDS Joint Venture and our affiliates, service providers and business partners, including TT Commerce & Global Services, and its affiliates, and each of our respective officers, directors, employees, agents, and advisors, arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall, under no circumstance, exceed the greater of $100 or the amount you have paid us in the past 12 months.

Third-party applications and services. You can use third-party applications and services that integrate with the Platform, such as when you log in to the Platform using a single sign-on tool or share content on other social media platforms. The Platform may also integrate third-party services, including software and products, to provide generative AI-enabled features.

Your use of these third-party applications and services is governed by their terms and privacy policies, not ours. We make no commitments, warranties or representations about the quality, security or integrity of third-party applications and services you choose to use with the Platform.

In short: We will always seek to provide you with a great and safe user experience, but you take the Platform as it is and understand that we cannot guarantee that everything that is on the Platform, including Output, or that integrates with it, is safe and complies with our policies. The Platform is provided “as is" and by using the Platform, you agree that our liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

5. Suspending or ending our relationship

5.1 Your rights

If you delete your account, these Terms (as may be amended) will terminate as an agreement between you and us, except for obligations that remain in place which by their nature should survive the termination of these Terms, including the obligations set out in: Section 3.5 “Ownership of content and grant of licenses,” Section 4 “Limitation of liability,” Section 5 "Suspending or ending our relationship," Section 7 “Indemnity,” Section 8 “Resolving disputes,” and Section 9 “Other.” Obligations under applicable legal requirements or court order will also remain in place despite the termination. Instructions for how to delete your account are here.

In short: We want you to stay, but note that if you delete your account, some obligations under these Terms will survive.

5.2 TikTok USDS Joint Venture’s rights

We reserve the right, at any time and without prior notice, to ban or suspend your account, or restrict your access to features of the Platform, at our sole discretion, including if:

If we have previously banned or suspended your account, but you use our Platform again (for example, by opening another account), we are entitled to ban or suspend any such accounts.

If you think we should not have banned or suspended your account, or restricted your access to features of the Platform, you may submit an appeal through the functionalities provided on the Platform and we will review our decision. Learn more here.

If we permanently ban your accounts, these Terms (as may be amended) will terminate as an agreement between you and us, except those obligations will remain in place which by their nature should survive the termination of these Terms, including the obligations set out in: Section 3.5 “Ownership of content and grant of licenses,” Section 4 “Limitation of liability,” Section 5 "Suspending or ending our relationship," Section 7 “Indemnity,” Section 8 “Resolving disputes,” and Section 9 “Other.” Obligations under applicable legal requirements or court order will also remain in place despite the termination.

In short: We can take actions related to your account as specified above.

6. Changes to these Terms

We may make changes to these Terms from time to time.

Unless otherwise required by law, we will notify you of any material changes to these Terms and give you an opportunity to review them before they apply. Where we need to make urgent changes, for example, for security, safety, legal or regulatory reasons, we may not be able to provide you with advance notice, but we will let you know as soon as we are reasonably able to do so.

You agree to regularly review the Terms to stay informed of the latest changes, and to review the Terms whenever you receive a notice from us that the Terms have been updated. The “Last Updated” date will reflect the effective date of the Terms. If you continue to use the Platform after any updated Terms are in effect, you agree to be bound by the updated Terms. Such Terms supersede all prior versions of the Terms unless a particular provision of the updated Terms states otherwise.

You should print off or save a local copy of the Terms for your records.

In short: Should these Terms change, if you want to keep using the Platform, you will need to agree to the changes.

7. Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless TikTok USDS Joint Venture and our affiliates, service providers, and business partners, including TT Commerce & Global Services and its affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and advisors from any and all claims, demands, damages, injunctions, orders, awards, settlements, losses, liabilities, liens, encumbrances, causes of action, of every kind and character, costs (including attorneys’ fees and other costs of arbitration, litigation, defense, or settlement), and expenses arising out of or relating to your use of the Platform under these Terms, including a breach of your obligations, representations and warranties under these Terms, and any violation of export controls or economic sanctions laws of the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Singapore, or any other applicable jurisdiction.

This provision and your indemnification obligations will survive any termination of your relationship with TikTok USDS Joint Venture and the expiration or termination of these Terms, by either party.

In short: You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless certain entities and individuals in accordance with the above.

8. Resolving disputes

8.1 Informal resolution process first

If we have a dispute with you relating to or arising out of these Terms or the Platform, regardless of when the dispute may have arisen or accrued, we will first try and resolve it with you amicably. You agree to do the same for us; our parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates; and TT Commerce & Global Services. In this section, (Section 8.1) the terms “TikTok USDS Joint Venture,” “we,” or “us” include TikTok USDS Joint Venture, TT Commerce & Global Services, each of their parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and advisors.

The party raising a dispute will initiate this process by notifying the other. Whichever party receives the notice will have 60 days to respond. If the dispute has not been resolved after the response time has expired, or within 30 days after a response has been issued, whichever is earlier, either party may file legal action against the other. Engaging in this informal dispute resolution process is a requirement that must be completed before filing any legal action. You, TikTok USDS Joint Venture, and TT Commerce & Global Services agree that you will make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute amicably before either you, TikTok USDS Joint Venture, or TT Commerce & Global Services, along with each's affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, and advisors, files any legal action against the other, and that the statute of limitations and any filing fee deadlines shall be tolled while the parties engage in the informal dispute resolution process.

8.2 Exclusive venue

These Terms and any claims, causes of action, of any kind or character, or demand arising out of or relating to the Terms will be governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any claim, cause of action or dispute, arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall also be resolved exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California or the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, regardless of whether the claim, cause of action, or dispute arose prior to your agreement to these Terms. You also agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of either of these courts for the purpose of litigating any such claim.

8.3 One year limitation period / limitation on legal action

YOU AND TIKTOK USDS JOINT VENTURE AGREE THAT YOU MUST INITIATE ANY PROCEEDING OR ACTION WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR OF THE DATE OF THE OCCURRENCE OF THE EVENT OR FACTS GIVING RISE TO A DISPUTE THAT IS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE PLATFORM. OTHERWISE, YOU FOREVER WAIVE THE RIGHT TO PURSUE ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION, OF ANY KIND OR CHARACTER, BASED ON SUCH EVENTS OR FACTS, AND SUCH CLAIM(S) OR CAUSE(S) OF ACTION ARE PERMANENTLY BARRED.

In short: We hope we do not get into a dispute but, if we do, there are a couple of ways we can try to resolve it.

9. Other

These Terms and any applicable Additional Terms described above are the whole legal agreement between you and TikTok USDS Joint Venture, govern your use of the Platform and completely replace any prior terms of service between you and TikTok Inc. related to the Platform. Any rights and permissions granted in them, may not be transferred or assigned by you. Our rights and obligations under these Terms are freely assignable by us without any requirement to notify you or any third party, in connection with a merger, acquisition, sale or disposition of assets, sale or transfer of equity (whether by direct or indirect ownership) or by operation of law or otherwise.

Our or your failure to enforce any provision of these Terms will not be construed as a waiver of any provision or right. If any portion of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, then the removal of that provision will be done to the minimum extent required to make it enforceable under applicable law and the remaining provisions will continue to have full force and effect. It will not be considered a waiver of any provision or right if we or you fail to insist upon or enforce any of these Terms. In these Terms, “include” or “including” means “including but not limited to.”

The Platform contains certain open source software. Each item of open source software is subject to its own applicable license terms, which can be found at Open Source Policy.

In short: These Terms are assignable by us. Even if there is a dispute about one part of the Terms, this does not change that we both agree that the rest of these Terms, as written, are the agreement between us.

10. Contacting TikTok USDS Joint Venture

You can contact us, including to ask questions about these Terms, here.