Can I make a news-style AI video for TikTok?
TikTok bans AI content made to look like a real news source or a crisis event. A clearly fictional explainer is different. What to avoid, and how to label it.
You can make a news-style format video, but not one that passes as real reporting. TikTok's page lists as not allowed AI or significantly edited content that misleads about a matter of public importance, naming "content made to look like it comes from a real news source" and "a crisis event, like a natural disaster or conflict." A fictional or clearly framed explainer, labeled as AI, is not what that wording describes.
Read from TikTok's integrity and authenticity guidelines (version 2026H2update) on 2026-09-30; not legal advice.
What does TikTok list as not allowed here?
The not-allowed list for misleading public-importance content is specific. The left column follows the page; the right column is our reading of it.
| Item on the page | What it rules out |
|---|---|
| Looks like a real news source | Anchor desks, logos or chyrons that imitate an outlet |
| A crisis event | Realistic disaster or conflict footage presented as real |
| A public figure degraded, harassed or linked to crime | Invented scenes about a real person |
| A political endorsement that never happened | Fake statements by public figures |
What can a news-style explainer safely be?
The rule targets deception about real events. A presenter that you describe from a prompt (Prompt is the first avatar input in Create new avatar) explaining a topic, with no outlet branding and no invented real events, does not imitate a source. Keep the scenes about your own subject, product or made-up setting.
How do I make the AI origin obvious?
Burn an authored line such as "AI-generated" with cues on POST /v1/video-captions (Video captions), and use TikTok's AIGC label too. See AIGC label or your own caption. A label does not rescue content that is on the not-allowed list.
What should I avoid prompting?
Text-to-video takes a prompt only (Video generation). Do not prompt for real disasters, real conflicts, named politicians, or a logo that resembles a broadcaster. For the broader policy, see does TikTok allow AI-generated content.
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