Terms of Service

Last updated: January 22, 2026

Welcome to TikTok Effect House (the “Effect House”), which allows you to create, publish, and share effects on TikTok.

1. Relationship and Incorporation

Your access and use of Effect House software, website, and related services that TikTok makes available on any platform or device (collectively, the “Effect House Services”) is governed by these Effect House Terms of Service (“Effect House Terms”) and the TikTok Terms of Service as applicable to you depending on your usual residence. The Effect House Services are part of "Services" or "Platform" as defined in the TikTok Terms of Service.

Our Effect Guidelines also form part of our contract with you and, by agreeing to these Terms, you promise to us that you will comply with them.

As part of complying with these Terms, you must also follow our TikTok Terms of Service, TikTok Community Guidelines, TikTok Intellectual Property Policy and other terms, policies, and guidelines on the Platform, as may be amended from time to time.

In the event of any conflict between these Effect House Terms and the applicable TikTok Terms of Service for the purposes of your use or access to the Effect House Services, these Effect House Terms will govern solely with respect to the subject matter herein and solely to the extent of the conflict.

Any capitalized terms not defined in these Effect House Terms but defined in the TikTok Terms of Service have the meaning given to them in the TikTok Terms of Service.

Effect House allows you to download or otherwise access our tools and relevant resources to create, preview, upload and manage various special effects, which may include filters, stickers, images, graphics, objects in permitted devices (the “Effect(s)”) and related materials which may include name and description of the Effect and other textual or graphic materials relating to in the Effect (“Related Materials”) (for the avoidance of doubt, Related Materials shall exclude Effects), and distribute or authorize the distribution of these Effects and Related Materials across the TikTok Platform. For the avoidance of doubt, “Effects” shall include, without limitation, any and all fonts, text, photographs, demo videos, musical works, sound recordings, animations, 3D materials, codes, trademarks, marks, logos, brands, service marks, trade names, data and any other elements and content embodied in the Effect.

2. Service Provider and Contracting Entities

The Effect House Services are provided to you by the TikTok affiliate designated in the TikTok Terms of Service as applicable to you depending on your usual residence.

For users residing in the United States, the TikTok Terms of Service are provided to you by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. We work with our service providers and business partners, such as BD TikTok USA LLC (hereinafter referred to as "TT Commerce & Global Services") and its affiliates, and our affiliates, to provide certain important functions of the Platform so that you and other users can use it and enjoy a global experience, including in connection with marketing, advertising, and other commercial and non-commercial services and activities. Payment-related functions and other commercial activities of the Effect House Services in the United States are serviced by TT Commerce & Global Services and its affiliates, in accordance with applicable laws including Executive Order 14352.

3. Age

The Effect House Services are only available for individuals that are of the minimum age under the applicable TikTok Terms of Service for using or accessing to the Services. In addition, if you are under the age legally required to enter into a valid agreement, your access and use of certain features of the Effect House Services may be limited.

By accessing or using the Effect House Services, you represent that you are at least 18 years old (or the applicable age of majority in the jurisdiction you reside in), and that you are capable of lawfully entering into these Effect House Terms and performing all obligations hereunder. If you are under 18 years old or under the applicable age of majority in the jurisdiction you reside in, you confirm that your parent or legal guardian consents to your access to or use of the Effect House Services (if such consent is required by law in your jurisdiction), has reviewed and discussed these Effect House Terms with you, and consents to your entering into these Effect House Terms.

4. Changes to these Effect House Terms

We may make changes to these Terms from time to time. 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.

You agree to regularly review the Terms to stay informed of the latest changes, and to review the Terms whenever you receive a notice from us that the Terms have been updated. The “Last Updated” date will reflect the effective date of the Terms. If you continue to use the Platform after any updated Terms are in effect, you agree to be bound by the updated Terms. Such Terms supersede all prior versions of the Terms unless a particular provision of the updated Terms states otherwise.

5. Your Account

We will use your TikTok account to communicate with you about the Effects and Related Materials you import, create and/or uploaded by using the Effect House Services.

6. Effect and Related Materials

You agree and acknowledge that Effects and Related Materials you import, create, upload or otherwise make available to us are “User Content” as defined under the TikTok Terms of Service, and will be subject to the terms and conditions applicable to User Content under the TikTok Terms of Service.

For the avoidance of doubt, all content, software, images, text, graphics, illustrations, logos, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, photographs, audio, videos, music and the “look and feel” of the Effect House Services, and all intellectual property rights related thereto are “TikTok Content” as defined under the TikTok Terms of Service, and will be subject to the terms and conditions applicable to TikTok Content under the TikTok Terms of Service.

Effect House may provide services whereby the Effects and Related Materials can be generated within Effect House by using any build-in copyrighted content (including without limitation music) but does not provide any service whereby copyrighted content can be downloaded or otherwise adapted. You shall not download or adapt the copyrighted content provided by Effect House by any means, or otherwise use the copyrighted content outside of the functionality provided by Effect House. You shall not make available, distribute, or perform the music provided by Effect House separately from the Effects and Related Materials, including, but not limited to standalone distribution of the music. You shall not use the music or other copyrighted content provided by Effect House in an illegal manner, in connection with any illegal content, and/or in violation of these Effect House Terms and TikTok Terms of Service. In the event of any violation of the limitations set forth herein, we reserve the right to enforce our rights against you to the fullest extent of the law.

You may have the option to upload the Effects and Related Materials through the Effect House Services for our review in order to authorize us to distribute the Effects via the Platform. You acknowledge that nothing under these Effect House Terms shall obligate us to publish, distribute or otherwise make available your Effects and Related Materials through the TikTok Platform.

You expressly agree and acknowledge that we may also recommend your Effects to other users of the TikTok Platform, by way of adding your Effects to the Effect Tray of TikTok Platform or in any other manner as TikTok deems appropriate. We will identify you as the source of the applicable Effects (specifically excluding Branded Effects), and you acknowledge and agree that such Effects are still User Content, rather than TikTok Content.

You acknowledge that any Effect (including Branded Effects) you publish will be publicly visible, and may be reused by any user on the Platform.

Our license to use Your Content includes our rights to access, reproduce (e.g. to copy), distribute, share, download, adapt or make derivative works (e.g. to translate and/or create captions), perform, and communicate Your Content to the public (e.g. to display it), for the purposes of operating, improving, and providing the Platform and developing new technologies (including training, testing, and improving our machine learning models and algorithms) and services that directly support the Effect House Services, consistent with these Terms and subject to your Platform settings. For users residing in the United States, these license rights extend to supporting TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC and our service providers and business partners (including TT Commerce & Global Services and its affiliates) in fulfilling the above purposes.

7. Branded Effects

Branded Effects refers to Effects customized for brands and intended for commercial brand promotion on TikTok.

You may use Effect House Services to generate Branded Effects. You hereby guarantee that: (i) any Branded Effect that you generate shall comply with TikTok’s Advertising Policies and other related policies, guidelines; (ii) any Branded Effect that you generated shall be your original work, and will not infringe, misappropriate or violate any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity; (iii) you have full right to use Effect House Services to generate Branded Effect, and if your work requires a license, you have obtained such license and the license is in full force and effect.

You further acknowledge that for any Branded Effects you make for a brand or a third party (the “Brand”), you are an independent contractor providing services directly to the Brand pursuant to your separate contract with them, to which TikTok is not a party. TikTok does not act as your representative or agent.

TikTok is not responsible or liable, as far as possible under applicable law, for any relationship you acquire with the Brand.

8. Suspension or Termination of Your Access to and Use of the Effect House Services

You acknowledge and agree that we may terminate your access to the Effect House Services at any time for no reason or any reason.

We reserve the right to modify, suspend or terminate access to, or discontinue at any time, your Effect and/or Related Materials, including if they are in violation of these terms, policies or guidelines.

9. Software License

You acknowledge and agree that TikTok owns all rights in Effect House software, and any other creative tools TikTok may make available to you to create the Effects. By downloading, installing or using Effect House software, you are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, limited, revocable license to use and access Effect House software for the sole purpose of creating Effects for use with TikTok Platform and Services. You further acknowledge that this software license is issued to you only, and you shall be liable for any unauthorized access and your license and access may be suspended at any time at our sole discretion. You acknowledge our ownership and exclusive rights in and to the Effect House software. You agree not to use Effect House software for any purpose other than to create content for use in conjunction with the TikTok Platform or Services. Effect House may contain publicly available software subject to other licenses, such license terms and required notices can be found in a separate file provided with Effect House. Effect House software, documentation, content and any other information made available in connection with Effect House is NOT A CONTRIBUTION and is not feedback to any open-source project or to any third party product, service or project.

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET OUT IN THE TERMS, NEITHER EFFECT HOUSE NOR ITS SUPPLIERS OR DISTRIBUTORS MAKE ANY SPECIFIC PROMISES ABOUT EFFECT HOUSE SOFTWARE. FOR EXAMPLE, WE DON’T MAKE ANY COMMITMENTS ABOUT THE CONTENT ACCESSED THROUGH EFFECT HOUSE SOFTWARE, THE SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF EFFECT HOUSE SOFTWARE, OR THEIR RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, OR ABILITY TO MEET YOUR NEEDS. WE PROVIDE EFFECT HOUSE SOFTWARE “AS IS”.

SOME JURISDICTIONS PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN WARRANTIES, LIKE THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR IN THE TERMS, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE AND TT COMMERCE & GLOBAL SERVICES EXCLUDE ALL WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES, CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, AND UNDERTAKINGS.

10. Indemnification

If you reside in the United States, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC and our affiliates, service providers, and business partners, including TT Local 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 Effect House Services under these Effect House Terms, including a breach of your obligations, representations and warranties under these Terms. This provision and your indemnification obligations will survive any termination of your relationship with TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC and the expiration or termination of these Terms, by either party.

11. Exclusion of Warranties

NOTHING IN THESE TERMS SHALL AFFECT ANY STATUTORY RIGHTS THAT YOU CANNOT CONTRACTUALLY AGREE TO ALTER OR WAIVE AND ARE LEGALLY ALWAYS ENTITLED TO AS A CONSUMER.

THE EFFECT HOUSE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND WE MAKE NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION TO YOU WITH RESPECT TO THEM. IN PARTICULAR WE DO NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT TO YOU THAT YOUR USE OF THE EFFECT HOUSE SERVICES WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE.

WE AND OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS (INCLUDING TT COMMERCE & GLOBAL SERVICES AND ITS AFFILIATES) DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Our liability and that of our affiliates and business partners shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Under no circumstance will TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC 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 at the time that these Terms were entered into by the parties, or any damages based on lost profits (whether incurred directly or indirectly), loss of reputation or diminution in value, loss of goodwill, loss of opportunity, loss of anticipated savings, loss or corruption of data suffered by you, or indirect or consequential losses which may be incurred by you, even if TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC has been advised of the possibility of such damages. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE EFFECT HOUSE SERVICES SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF $100 USD OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS.

13. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Effect House Terms or the Effect House Services shall be resolved in accordance with the Dispute Resolution procedures set forth in the TikTok Terms of Service.

Specific to U.S. users: If we have a dispute with you relating to or arising out of these Effect House Terms or the Effect House Services, regardless of when the dispute may have arisen or accrued, we will first try and resolve it with you amicably. You agree to do the same for us and TT Commerce & Global Services. If you have any dispute with TT Commerce & Global Services or any of its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents and advisors that relate to the Platform, you agree to direct any and all claims against them to TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. The party raising a dispute will initiate this process by notifying the other. Whichever party receives the notice will have 60 days to respond. If the dispute has not been resolved after the response time has expired, or within 30 days after a response has been issued, whichever is earlier, either party may file legal action against the other. Engaging in this informal dispute resolution process is a requirement that must be completed before filing any legal action. You and TikTok US agree that you both will make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute amicably before either you or TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC files any legal action against the other, and that the statute of limitations and any filing fee deadlines shall be tolled while the parties engage in the informal dispute resolution process.

Effect House Terms of Service are available in multiple languages. Select a language below to download the PDF version:

Arabic, Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish (Gaelic), Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Norwegian, Odia (Oriya), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Latin America), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan).