TikTok

You are agreeing to give TikTok a permanent, global, and royalty-free right to use your content in almost any way they choose, including for training their AI models, without compensating you.

“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: non-exclusive, irrevocable, and royalty-free (you retain the rights to use Your Content elsewhere, although we don't owe you any payments for sharing Your Content with us) assignable and sub-licensable, including through multiple tiers (so we can, for example, work with service providers and business partners to help distribute Your Content); and worldwide (so we can show your content to a global audience).”

What that means: TikTok can use your content, including for AI training and development, anywhere in the world, forever, and can let others use it, all without paying you.

You grant TikTok an extensive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free, and sub-licensable license to use your content. This license allows TikTok to reproduce, distribute, adapt, perform, and communicate your content for operating, improving the platform, and developing new technologies, including training machine learning models and algorithms. This is a very broad grant of rights.

You are agreeing that other users on the platform receive a permanent, worldwide, and royalty-free right to use, copy, share, adapt, and make new content from your posted content.

“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.”

What that means: Other users can perpetually and irrevocably use your content for their own purposes, including creating derivative works, meaning you lose significant control over your content once shared.

In addition to TikTok's license, you grant every other user a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, and irrevocable worldwide license to use your content. This includes the right to copy, distribute, share, download, adapt, or make derivative works, meaning other users can freely incorporate your content into their own.

You are agreeing that TikTok is not liable for most issues or damages you encounter, and their maximum financial responsibility to you is limited to a small amount.

“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... 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... 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.”

What that means: You bear most of the risk for any issues, damages, or losses arising from using the platform, with TikTok's liability severely limited, potentially to a very small amount.

TikTok explicitly states the platform is provided 'as is' and disclaims most warranties. It severely limits its liability for various issues, including errors, security problems, and damages, capping its maximum aggregate liability at the greater of $100 or what you've paid them in the last year. This means you bear almost all risk.

You are agreeing to be financially responsible for TikTok's legal defense costs and any damages if your actions or content on the platform lead to a claim against them or their partners.

“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.”

What that means: You could be forced to pay TikTok's legal expenses and damages if someone sues them due to something you did or said on the platform.

You agree to defend and indemnify TikTok, its affiliates, service providers, and business partners against all claims, damages, and costs, including attorneys' fees, arising from your use of the platform or any breach of your obligations. This provision places the financial burden of legal defense and liabilities resulting from your actions squarely on you.

You are agreeing that if you are under 18, your parent or guardian must approve your use, and they are responsible for your actions on the platform.

“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”)... If you are under 18 years of age, you must review these Terms (and our [Privacy Policy](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/privacy-policy)) with your parent or guardian, and obtain their permission before you use the Platform.”

What that means: Your child's data and use of the platform are subject to special rules, and parental consent is required for users under 18.

The terms specify that users under 13 (or 14 in Florida) cannot use the main platform, directing them to a separate 'Under 13 Experience' with its own privacy policy. It also requires parental review and permission for users under 18, placing responsibility on the parent.

You are agreeing that TikTok can use information from third parties to show you personalized ads and sponsored content, even outside of the TikTok app.

“You agree that we can customize ads and other sponsored content from creators, advertisers, and partners, that you see on and off the Platform based on, among other points, information we receive from third parties.”

What that means: Your online behavior, both on and potentially off TikTok, is used to tailor the ads and sponsored content you see, potentially reducing your privacy.

TikTok states it will customize ads and sponsored content for you, both on and off its platform. This customization is based on information it receives from third parties, which implies that your data and activity might be shared or combined with external sources to target advertisements.

You are agreeing that TikTok can change its terms without much advance notice, and your continued use of the platform means you accept these new terms.

“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... If you continue to use the Platform after any updated Terms are in effect, you agree to be bound by the updated Terms.”

What that means: The terms can change, potentially without much notice, and your continued use means you accept those changes, even if they are unfavorable.

TikTok can change its terms at any time. While it generally commits to notifying users of material changes, urgent changes may occur without advance notice. Your continued use of the platform after these updates signifies your agreement to the new terms, meaning they can alter your contractual obligations without explicit consent.

You are agreeing to try resolving disputes informally first, and if legal action is necessary, you will only bring it in specified courts in California.

“If we have a dispute with you relating to or arising out of these Terms or the Platform... we will first try and resolve it with you amicably. You agree to do the same for us... Engaging in this informal dispute resolution process is a requirement that must be completed before filing any legal action... 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.”

What that means: You lose the right to sue TikTok in a court of your choice and are limited to specific courts in California, after an mandatory informal resolution period.

Before any legal action, you must engage in an informal dispute resolution process. If a lawsuit proceeds, it must be filed exclusively in specific U.S. District or Superior Courts in California. This restricts your ability to sue in your local jurisdiction and requires you to submit to California's personal jurisdiction.

You are agreeing that your content may remain on the platform and visible to others if they have incorporated it into their own content, even after you delete your original post.

“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).”

What that means: Even if you delete your content or account, parts of your content might still be viewable and usable by others on the platform if they have previously used it.

While you can delete your videos or account, the terms explicitly state that your content may remain publicly accessible if other users have incorporated it into their own content. This is due to the broad user-to-user license you grant when posting.