Meta has blocked advertisements by ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, on Facebook and Instagram in seven countries, including the United States. The ban took effect immediately on Thursday and applies to the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It extends to third-party advertisers running campaigns that link to TikTok or other ByteDance properties in those countries.
A Meta spokesperson said, “We don’t have to run ads from a competitor whose goal is to pull people off our apps.” They added, “Declining promotional services to a competitor is a normal business practice across industries. We will continue to compete on product quality and user experience.”
The move escalates the rivalry between Meta and ByteDance. TikTok has become one of Meta’s fiercest competitors for user engagement, creators, and advertising revenue. The ban limits TikTok’s ability to promote itself on Meta’s platforms, potentially narrowing its reach in these key markets.
TikTok’s website states that it does not support links that open or log users into other social media apps, but users can add profile links directing people to external platforms’ websites. This detail complicates enforcement, as some content creators and advertisers might still find ways to link to TikTok indirectly.
Meta’s decision arrived amid ongoing scrutiny of social media platforms’ impact on children and teens. In August, Meta agreed to a settlement with multiple US states, committing to daily usage limits and nighttime restrictions for children on Facebook and Instagram. The company also pledged to improve age-restriction controls.
TikTok reached a settlement in September with the state of Alabama, requiring the platform to impose new usage limits and age-verification measures. These moves followed accusations that TikTok endangered children and misled consumers about its safety. TikTok operates in the US as a majority American-owned joint venture, part of a deal intended to protect US user data and avoid a ban on the app, which is used by more than 200 million Americans.
Neither TikTok nor ByteDance responded immediately to Reuters’ requests for comment on Meta’s latest ban.
Bloomberg News first reported Meta’s decision earlier on Thursday. The ban is likely to intensify competition between the two companies as they battle over audiences and advertising dollars across multiple continents.
According to Joy Online.
