Meta bans TikTok ads on its platforms in US, Japan and other countries

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has prohibited advertisements from ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, on its platforms in the United States and several other countries, according to a company spokesperson on Thursday. This decision marks a significant escalation in the ongoing competitive rivalry between Meta and ByteDance, with TikTok becoming a major challenge to Meta's user engagement, creators, and advertising revenue.

The ban will be enforced right away in the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as for third-party advertisers running campaigns that link to TikTok and other ByteDance properties in these countries. Meta stated that they do not need to run ads from a competitor whose goal is to divert users away from their platforms.

They noted that declining promotional services to a competitor is a standard practice in most industries. Meta intends to continue competing based on product quality and user experience. Both TikTok and ByteDance have not yet responded to requests for comment from Reuters regarding Meta's action. While TikTok's website indicates that it does not support links to other social media platforms, users can still add links to their profiles directing people to those platforms' websites.

Meta has been lobbying TikTok and YouTube to implement certain measures aimed at improving teen safety, a proposal that was reached following a settlement in August worth up to $18 billion with US states over potential social media harms to children. This settlement saw Meta agree to introduce daily usage limits and nighttime restrictions for children on Facebook and Instagram, as well as enhance safety measures to prevent children from accessing age-restricted content.

TikTok, however, has not made any public statements about Meta's campaign. Despite this, TikTok recently reached a settlement with Alabama in September that mandates the platform to implement new usage limits and improve age verification procedures for users within the state, addressing allegations that TikTok endangered children and misled consumers about its safety.

TikTok currently operates in the US as a majority American-owned joint venture as part of a deal designed to protect US user data and prevent a ban on an app that has over 200 million users in the country.