TikTok Shop Ads Are Invading Our Timelines, Is There Any Way We Can Block Them?
TikTok Shop is taking over TikTok entirely. The majority of the videos on the For You page are marked as “Eligible for commission” and have a link to a product on TikTok Shop. Everything on TikTok Shop is deeply discounted and some people have had horrible experiences. Some never got the item they ordered or they receive a product that is completely different than what they ordered. Is TikTok Shop legit? Can you block TikTok Shop videos from popping up constantly?
What is TikTok Shop?
As I was digging into everything TikTok Shop I was getting horrible flashbacks to my Temu article. TikTok has been a heavily debated app in our government because of its ties to China much like Temu. TikTok shop was made to cut out the middle man. TikTok saw a huge opportunity for profit with tags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt gaining a lot of traction. Even company websites now have tabs for trending as seen on TikTok. According to TikTok, “From discovery to purchase, TikTok is committed to providing a safe and secure environment that allows our community to shop with confidence.” TikTok COULD have made this feature with the best intentions but things have spiraled out of control.
You get what you pay for
TikTok Shop is blowing up because of its extremely affordable, some might even say cheap prices. You may be saving money but it has to be made up somewhere else. According to Distractify, “TikTok takes a cut of the sales the creators who own the shops make from the app.” This is when it gets scary. I did some research on how to become a seller on TikTok Shop…it is so incredibly easy. Too easy in my opinion. Fit Small Business says it can be done in 7 simple steps and there is no verification process. This is where it becomes almost inevitable for people to get scammed. Some shops are selling fakes or not selling anything at all. There are no checks and balances in place to regulate who can sell on TikTok. Fortune highlights this aspect. They found that “In its terms that a user can click on before checkout, TikTok says “we make no representations, warranties, or guarantees, whether express or implied, that any content on TikTok Shop is accurate, complete, or up to date. We have no visibility or control over the contents on or available through those sites or resources and you acknowledge and agree that we have no liability for any such content.’” Everything is being hidden in the fine print which almost no one pays attention to.
Can you block TikTok Shop videos?
I love that platforms are making it easier for creators to get commissions but when every other video sounds like an infomercial I’m ready to throw my phone out the window. Some users have found hacks to help filter out these annoying videos.
@Thomasgermain shows how we can block certain hashtags. Most creators add #TikTokShop to their videos that are eligible for commission. If you go to settings and privacy, click on content preferences, filter video keywords then put in #TikTokShop. From there you can choose which page to apply this filter to For You or Following or both. This helped me a lot and hopefully, it will make your scrolling more enjoyable!
In this economy, we all like to save money where we can, but please remember that there are people with mal intentions everywhere, especially on the internet. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Protect yourself and your information.
How have your experiences with TikTok Shop been? Will you block TikTok Shop videos?