TikTok Shop has begun trialling alcohol sales in the UK, introducing a three-stage age-verification process.
The pilot is limited to a small group of approved, licensed retailers, with products reportedly including Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, AU Vodka and Estrella Damm’s Inedit beer.
Alcohol products will not appear organically in users’ ‘For You’ feeds, and can only be found by searching within the TikTok Shop tab.
Shoppers will face age checks when setting up an account, again when completing their purchase and for a third time when the order is delivered. Drivers will be required to check government-issued identification before handing over alcohol purchases.
TikTok said users under the age of 18 are unable to access TikTok Shop or view ecommerce content through their ‘For You’ feeds. Users can also opt out of seeing alcohol-related advertising on the platform.
The development is the latest step in TikTok’s efforts to transform its video-sharing app into a major retail marketplace, with brands including Marks & Spencer and John Lewis already selling through the platform.
TikTok Shop sales increased 50 per cent year on year during the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, when the platform said 27 products were sold every second. TikTok has also reported a 47 per cent rise in search activity over the past year as more consumers use the app for shopping and product discovery.
However, its move into alcohol comes amid increased scrutiny of the platform’s age-verification systems.
Ofcom opened an investigation into TikTok on 16 July to examine whether it is meeting its obligations under the Online Safety Act to prevent children from encountering harmful content. The regulator has raised concerns about whether the platform’s age-inference technology is sufficiently effective.
TikTok has maintained that it strictly enforces age-appropriate experiences through its platform policies and age-assurance technology, and said it would cooperate with Ofcom’s investigation.
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