TikTok Shop U.S. Risk Control Upgrade: A Compliance Guide for Merchants

TikTok Shop’s U.S. market is expanding rapidly, attracting a large number of merchants. However, in response to U.S. regulatory pressure and the platform’s own compliance requirements, TikTok has tightened its review and risk control measures for U.S. sellers, drawing significant industry attention. This article will analyze the latest changes in TikTok Shop’s U.S. risk control policies, highlight key risks merchants should pay attention to, and provide a full-process compliance guide from registration to operations to help merchants navigate smoothly.

I. Impact of TikTok Shop U.S. Risk Control Upgrade

1. Core Changes in Risk Control

• U.S. company ownership requirements
  TikTok Shop now requires that U.S. entities be majority-owned (over 51%) by U.S. citizens and that the board director be a U.S. passport holder. This forces many sellers previously registering under Chinese entities to adjust their structures, directly affecting their platform exposure and operational support.

• Reclassification of sellers
  Sellers reclassified as “overseas merchants” may lose ranking advantages and operational support, limiting store traffic and monetization potential.

2. Key Points Merchants Must Focus On

• Entity control requirements
  Since TikTok mandates U.S. ownership and board control, Chinese merchants must either find compliant U.S. partners or register new U.S. companies that meet the requirements, avoiding future bans or ranking downgrades.

• Decline in exposure and support
  Overseas reclassification can reduce traffic and visibility. To counter this, merchants should diversify promotion through short videos, livestreaming, and social media marketing to strengthen independent exposure and customer loyalty.

• Stricter payment and logistics audits
  Merchants should prepare U.S. bank accounts or Payoneer accounts in advance, and prioritize compliant logistics solutions—such as TikTok’s official logistics (TTS), USPS, or UPS—to ensure fund security and reliable order fulfillment.

II. Step-by-Step Compliance Guide

1. Registration Stage

• Entity qualification
  Prepare the required U.S. citizen shareholder and director documentation (passport, ID proof). Confirm whether your existing overseas entity meets TikTok’s updated requirements.

• Payment account setup
  Prepare U.S. bank or Payoneer accounts for payouts and withdrawals. Allow 3–7 business days for review.

• Logistics selection
  Prefer TikTok TTS or compliant third-party options with stable delivery and legal compliance (e.g., USPS, UPS).

2. Account & Environment Management

TikTok closely monitors account environments. Multi-account operations with frequent IP changes or mismatched setups can easily trigger risk control. Merchants should use stable, compliant proxy IP services to reduce the chance of account flagging.

• Recommendation: Use professional U.S. proxy IP services, such as IPFoxy, which provide high-purity, highly anonymous, and authentic U.S. export IPs. These make it easier to gain TikTok U.S. system trust, effectively prevent IP linkage risks, and ensure stable, compliant multi-account operations.

3. Content Review & Compliance Operations

• Product compliance: Avoid prohibited categories listed in TikTok Shop’s “Restricted Products Policy.”

• Content compliance: Ensure videos and livestreams do not contain restricted content and align with product descriptions.

• Rule monitoring: Join TikTok Shop compliance or risk-control groups to stay updated on policy reminders and alerts for high-risk merchants.

4. Operations Optimization & Risk Monitoring

• Multi-channel promotion: Beyond TikTok, expand to Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., to diversify traffic sources.

• Real-time monitoring: Track store traffic, conversion rates, and risk alerts. Immediately pause and adjust strategies if irregularities or violations occur.

Conclusion

The ongoing TikTok Shop U.S. risk control upgrade has a significant impact on merchants. From registration to operations, every step requires careful planning and compliance alignment. This is more than just an “identity audit” adjustment—it signals TikTok’s accelerated move toward building a localized and fully compliant ecosystem.