Between videos and shopping, TikTok tests security limits in e-commerce

The transformation of TikTok into a consumer platform at scale has compressed the buying journey to a few seconds, dissolving traditional decision steps. With more than 1.6 billion users worldwide and about 111 million in Brazil in 2025, the application consolidated a model in which discovery, desire and transaction occur in the same flow. The arrival of TikTok Shop to the country in May formalizes this change by integrating content and retail in a way that is almost imperceptible to the user.

According to Itau BBA, the gross sales volume of the tool jumped from about US$ 1 million in May to US$ 46.1 million in August 4.500% in a few months. Projections indicate that the TikTok Shop can move up to R$ 39 billion by 2028, the equivalent of up to 9% of national e-commerce. Today, there are about 50 thousand active stores and approximately 500 thousand creators working in this ecosystem.

This model directly changes consumer behavior. Data from NielsenIQ show that 74% of Brazilians have already bought products recommended by content creators, while Opinion Box points out that one in three users acquired items discovered within the platform. More than adherence, there is the elimination of steps: the consumer stops researching and comparing to respond to narrative stimuli and complete the purchase in the same flow.

Friction reduction, while efficient for conversion, increases vulnerabilities. By integrating shopping with entertainment, verification mechanisms are weakened, creating an environment conducive to fraud. NordVPN survey indicates that the volume of fake websites grows by about 250% in promotional periods, with pages that mimic large retailers registering highs above 200%. Practices such as selling counterfeit products, unreal discounts and redirecting to off-platform payments become more effective in this context, especially in a country where only 27% of users can identify phishing attempts.

“When the purchase decision happens in the same stream of entertainment, the consumer misses fundamental verification steps.This not only increases conversion, but also proportionally increases the risk of” fraud, says Hygor Roque, Head of Revenue at Divibank.

In Brazil, the combination of high penetration of social networks, digital influence culture and ease of payment intensifies this scenario. Creator-mediated selling, packed into personal narratives, reduces the perception of risk and brings advertising closer to an informal recommendation. The result is an environment in which speed exceeds verification and in which the main challenge ceases to be technological to become behavioral: preserving critical sense in a system designed to eliminate it.