Can I make an AI child character for TikTok? The under-18 rule

Be careful: TikTok's AI-generated content page states "we do not allow content that contains the likeness of people under the age of 18, or the likeness of adult private figures used without their permission" (read 2026-10-03). The page speaks of the likeness of people, and does not define how a wholly invented child character is treated, so that case is not something we can confirm is allowed.

If the character looks like a minor, plan for it to be treated as covered by the rule, and choose an adult character instead.

What does TikTok's page say, exactly?

The transparency page covers several limits on AI-generated content. It requires creators to label AIGC that shows realistic-appearing scenes or people. It prohibits AIGC that could mislead about real-world events, shows fake authoritative sources or crisis events, or falsely shows public figures being bullied or impersonated, including making or receiving an endorsement. The under-18 sentence appears alongside these (read 2026-10-03).

Notice the structure: labeling is one requirement, and the likeness limits are separate prohibitions. A label does not make a prohibited likeness acceptable.

How do Sume's avatar tools fit?

Sume's avatar creation docs describe three input types: a prompt, a profile (props) and a photo. The profile input takes ethnicity, sex and an integer age, and in the OpenAPI the age range is 20 to 80. That makes the profile route adult-only by construction. The prompt and photo routes carry no documented age check, so choosing an adult subject is your responsibility there.

A photo input needs a fetchable public HTTPS image URL. Using a photo of a real person means you also need their consent, which our post on private figure likeness from a photo covers. A photo of a minor adds the under-18 problem on top.

What would a safe profile request look like?

The docs example creates an adult avatar from props. Reusing it keeps the age inside the documented range and gives you a stable handle for later videos.

curl -X POST https://api.sume.com/v1/avatar-1.0/generate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUME_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: avatar-profile-001" \
  -d '{
    "avatar_handle": "product_host",
    "input": {
      "type": "props",
      "ethnicity": "Asian",
      "sex": "female",
      "age": 28
    }
  }'

What should you keep on record?

If a clip is questioned, the record should show who the character is and why it is an adult.

• The avatar handle and the input type used: prompt, props or photo.
• For props, the age value sent. For photo, the source of the image and consent for it.
• The prompt text if the avatar came from a prompt.
• The job id and artifact URL of each video made with the avatar.
• The label you applied on TikTok at upload.

What about stylized or animated children?

TikTok's page does not discuss cartoons, mascots or non-realistic characters, and we did not find a definition in the pages we read. Do not infer that a stylized child is allowed or banned. If your brand mascot looks like a child, ask TikTok support in writing and keep the reply.

For label basics on realistic characters, see how Sume jobs map to TikTok's label triggers, and for what to do if a clip is flagged after posting, see this post.

How should you brief a team on this rule?

Put the rule in the creative brief where designers and prompt writers see it: no characters who appear to be under 18, and no real person's likeness without permission. Add a review step before generation that checks the prompt text, because the prompt route has no age field to enforce anything.

For photo inputs, ask where the photo came from and who is in it before the image URL is sent. If the answer is unclear, do not generate. For profile inputs, the age field already limits you to an adult range, so use it when you only need a generic presenter.

This is a conservative reading of TikTok's page. TikTok decides what its rule covers, and its decisions can differ from ours, so keep your record and escalate edge cases to TikTok rather than guessing.

What is the lowest-risk way to proceed?

Use adult characters, built from the profile input where a generic presenter is enough, and keep the prompt text for anything else. If a script is about a child's product, have the adult presenter talk to parents rather than play a child. That keeps the story and avoids the likeness question entirely.

If a campaign truly needs a child on screen, film a real one with the guardian's written consent and use Sume only for edits such as trimming and captions on that footage. That is a production decision for you and your counsel, not something Sume or this post can approve.