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TikTok LIVE compliance center

Stay visible without getting penalized

Going live is your biggest lever for connection and revenue — and the riskiest. This page ranks the prohibitions by severity, gives you concrete allowed / forbidden examples, checklists and the real sanctions scale. The goal: you always know where the line is.

Low risk — green zone Moderate risk — grey zone High risk — sanction likely

The golden rule: you are responsible for everything that appears on screen

Your guests, your chat, your music, your third-party tools, your automated displays and even an AI speaking in your place: as the host, everything is your responsibility. TikTok penalizes the account that broadcasts, not the excuse. The good news: almost every incident is avoidable with a little method. That's exactly what we teach you.

Understanding the intent

What TikTok is trying to protect

The rules aren't there to annoy you: they protect four things. When in doubt, ask yourself which one you might be threatening.

People

Safety, dignity, freedom from harassment, protection of minors.

Privacy

Personal data, likeness and everyone's consent.

Integrity

No misinformation, scams or manipulation.

Authenticity

A live = real, real-time broadcasting by a genuine person who is present.

The heart of the matter

The prohibitions, ranked by severity

For each category: what TikTok protects, what you can do, what you must never do, and the sanction risk.

Sexual & suggestive content

High severity

TikTok protects people and minors. Nudity, sexual acts or innuendo, deliberately explicit outfits and solicitation are strictly forbidden on live.

Allowed

  • Outfit appropriate to the context (sport, dance, beauty)
  • Discussing adult topics with perspective and an educational approach

Forbidden

  • Nudity, suggestive underwear, explicit gestures
  • Insistent framing of body parts
  • Sexual solicitation or innuendo in the chat

Risk: immediate cut-off of the live, loss of LIVE access, account suspension.

Violence & dangerous behavior

High severity

TikTok protects people. Anything that trivializes, encourages or stages violence, self-harm or dangerous challenges is forbidden.

Allowed

  • Supervised combat sports, gaming, clearly identified fiction
  • Raising awareness of a danger with a prevention message

Forbidden

  • Real fights, threats, brandished weapons
  • Dangerous challenges, self-harm, incitement to suicide
  • Animal or human abuse

Risk: rapid suspension, possible report to the authorities.

Hate & harassment

High severity

TikTok protects people and their dignity. No attacks based on origin, gender, orientation, religion or disability; no targeted harassment.

Allowed

  • Respectful debate of ideas, humor that targets no one
  • Firmly calling out a troll, then banning them

Forbidden

  • Discriminatory insults, hateful remarks
  • Cyberbullying, calling for a raid on another account
  • Letting the chat spiral without moderating

Risk: live restriction, suspension. The host's inaction counts.

Misinformation & manipulation

High severity

TikTok protects the integrity of information. Dangerous false information (health, safety, elections) and engagement manipulation are forbidden.

Allowed

  • Giving your opinion while presenting it as such
  • Citing reliable, verifiable sources

Forbidden

  • False medical / dangerous information presented as true
  • Harmful conspiracy theories, deceptive deepfakes
  • Buying/exchanging views, followers or engagement

Risk: loss of visibility, restriction, suspension.

Scams, begging & redirects

High severity

TikTok protects integrity and people. Promises of gains, deceptive begging and redirects to scams are forbidden.

Allowed

  • Promoting your genuine product/service transparently
  • Using TikTok's official selling tools

Forbidden

  • "Send X gifts and I'll give you double back"
  • Redirecting to a site/channel to bypass TikTok
  • Fake giveaways, pyramid schemes, dodgy crypto

Risk: loss of monetization, account suspension.

Privacy violations

High severity

TikTok protects privacy. Sharing personal data — your own or someone else's — without consent is forbidden.

Allowed

  • Showing your world while blurring anything sensitive
  • Filming guests who have given their consent

Forbidden

  • Displaying an address, phone number, ID, license plate, personal screen
  • Broadcasting someone without their consent (doxxing)

Risk: live takedown, suspension, legal exposure.

Music & copyright

Moderate severity

TikTok protects copyright. Broadcasting protected music or content without a license can cut your live and get you restricted.

Allowed

  • Sounds from the TikTok library / royalty-free music
  • Your own audio creation

Forbidden

  • Playing protected albums/films/series in the background
  • Re-streaming content you don't have the rights to

Risk: sound/live cut-off, warning, restriction in case of repeat offenses.

Static or misleading content

Moderate severity

TikTok protects the authenticity of live broadcasts. A live must show real activity, not a still image that simulates a presence.

Allowed

  • A brief overlay/waiting screen before coming back on camera
  • Visuals that accompany your real presence

Forbidden

  • Prolonged still screen / video loop with no one present
  • Misleading QR codes or messages full-screen

Risk: end of the live, drop in visibility, warning.

Third-party tools, bots & AI voices

Moderate severity

TikTok protects authenticity. You can use tools to help you, but they must not mislead, host the live in your place, or post non-compliant displays.

Allowed

  • Overlays, alerts, assisted moderation that you control
  • Occasional subtitles / TTS to complement your presence

Forbidden

  • Letting an AI/bot run the live without you
  • Misleading or forbidden automated displays

Risk: you remain responsible for every output of the tool. Sanction depends on the violation produced.

Minors & guest safety

High severity

TikTok protects minors as an absolute priority. LIVE access is restricted to adult accounts, and the protection of young people tolerates no grey area.

Allowed

  • Inviting adults who are of age and consenting
  • Cutting off immediately if a minor appears or behaves inappropriately

Forbidden

  • Having minors take part in an inappropriate setting
  • Any content that endangers or showcases a minor

Risk: immediate and permanent suspension, report to the authorities.

A practical case in pictures

The same live, two outcomes

Visual teaching, without showing anything shocking: two setups, one verdict.

Example of a compliant live: creator present on camera, moderated chat, licensed sound
Host present, clear theme, moderated chat, licensed sound
Example of a risky live: still screen with no one on camera, promise of gains and external link
Still screen + promise of gains + external link = sanction
Running the live

Moderate your chat, manage your guests

The chat and guests are the number one source of incidents. Here's how to stay in control without killing the vibe.

Best practices

  • Appoint 1 or 2 trusted moderators before you go live
  • Enable the keyword filter and comment moderation
  • Set your rules right at the start of the live
  • Check age and consent before inviting someone into a duo
  • Ban fast, call out calmly, don't feed the trolls

Avoid

  • Letting hateful remarks settle in "because it's just the chat"
  • Inviting a duo without checking who's on the other side
  • Reading problematic messages out loud
  • Encouraging dodgy challenges or promises to keep people watching
Your routines

Pre & post-live checklists

Tick them off as you go. The boxes are interactive — make this your ritual before every live.

Before the live

After the live

Consequences

The real sanctions scale

Depending on severity and repeat offenses, TikTok applies graduated measures. A serious violation can jump straight to the final steps.

Step 1

Warning

A reminder of the rule that was broken. No consequence if you fix it immediately.

Step 2

LIVE restriction

Temporary loss of live access and/or reduced visibility.

Step 3

Suspension

Account suspended for a set period. Features blocked.

Step 4

Ban

Permanent deletion of the account in case of a serious violation or repeat offenses.

If you believe a sanction is unjustified

You can appeal directly in the app (Settings → Reports / Violation history). Keep evidence, stay factual. Our creators get support to draft a clean appeal.

Frequently asked questions

LIVE FAQ

Yes. As the host, you're accountable for everything that appears on screen and in the chat. Choose your guests, brief them, and cut off without hesitation if things go sideways.

Only licensed sounds (TikTok library, royalty-free music or your own creations). Broadcasting protected albums can cut your live and get you restricted.

It's considered static/misleading content: a live must show a real presence. Risk of the live ending, dropping visibility and a warning.

No. Tools can assist you (overlays, moderation, subtitles), but the live must be hosted by a real, present person. You remain responsible for every automated output.

It depends on severity and history: from a few days to a prolonged suspension. A serious violation can lead to a direct ban.

We guide your first lives

Go live with peace of mind

Our creators are trained in compliance and supported through their first broadcasts. You learn to grow without ever putting your account on the line.

Join Cavagno Visit the Knowledge Hub

This center is an educational summary inspired by the Community Guidelines, the TikTok LIVE rules and the Creator Academy. It does not replace TikTok's official documentation, which is authoritative and updated regularly.