TikTok Shop has officially issued the latest platform rules for cross-border operations in South-East Asia: As of this date, the shop would be exposed to the risk of disbarment if it received a large number of serious customer complaints, such as empty parcels, counterfeit goods or suspected fraud.
TikTok Shop ‘ s rules for cross-border operations in South-East Asia clearly define “serious complaints” as: empty parcels (no delivery), counterfeit and bad goods (intellectual property rights abuses) and suspected fraud (falsification or billing). If the store had more than 10 such complaints per month, or 50 in total, it would trigger the Alliance eligibility review – – When eliminated, vendors will be removed from cross-border alliances and unable to participate in the Platform’s exclusive flows and subsidies. If the case is less serious, it will be suspended for a period of 14 to 30 days: 14 days for the first violation and 30 days for the repetition, during which the shop is not available for new, live or promotion. TikTok Shop’s new rule, which is behind the “virus growth” of South-East Asian electric operators, aims to cleanse the ecology, increase user trust and respond to the recent pains of cross-border street vendors. According to internal Platform data, in the first half of 2025, there was a 25 per cent ring increase in cross-border complaints from TikTok Shop in South-East Asia, with fraud in counterfeit goods and logistics accounting for over 40 per cent.
This new rule is a continuation of TikTok’s “Year of Global Compliance”: South-East Asia became a major battleground after the “zero tolerance of fake goods” in the United States and Europe. It is noteworthy that during the suspension of the Alliance ‘ s cooperation, traders will not be able to participate in the Alliance ‘ s marketing activities, such as TikTok Shop, bringing goods and live distribution, directly affecting their exposure and sales in the South-East Asian market. TikTok Shop South-East Asian cross-border operations have attracted over 200,000 vendors from China, Thailand and Viet Nam, over $10 billion since their launch in 2023. TikTok Shop is accelerating the construction of a “trusted electrician” system as the South-East Asian electricity market continues to warm.
TikTok Shop’s escalation not only provides a strong safeguard for consumer interests, but also creates a more level playing field for high-quality vendors operating in good faith. For cross-border vendors interested in deep-farming markets in South-East Asia, long-term robust growth in TikTok Shop’s ecology can only be achieved if compliance and user experience are maintained.