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Meta blocks paid TikTok promotion across seven countries

Meta is blocking ByteDance advertisements and paid campaigns that direct users to TikTok in seven countries, including the US and Indonesia. The restriction also covers third-party advertisers. Meta defended its decision as declining promotional services to a competitor. It follows friction over child-safety advertising between the platforms, while ByteDance remains a shareholder in TikTok’s US operation.

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ByteDance loses paid advertising access

Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is blocking advertisements from ByteDance, the company behind TikTok. The restriction applies in countries including the US and Indonesia. It affects paid promotion on Meta’s platforms.[1], [2]

The full list comprises the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. Third-party campaigns linking to TikTok are covered alongside advertisements bought by ByteDance itself. Implementation began on Thursday. The restriction concerns paid campaigns, rather than a general removal of ordinary user posts.[1]

Meta defends withholding promotion from a competitor

Meta spokesperson Christopher Sgro said the company did not have to carry advertising from a competitor seeking to draw users away from its applications. He defended declining promotional services as normal business practice. TikTok’s US operation is controlled by a venture majority-owned by US-based companies, with ByteDance remaining a major shareholder.[1]

Child-safety advertising preceded the restriction

The decision follows a child-safety settlement involving Meta and the company’s calls for TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safeguards. TikTok declined to carry a Meta advertising campaign on that subject. TikTok’s own support page also restricts links that open other social applications or sign users into them.[1]

References

  1. News sourceThe VergeMeta blocks TikTok-directed ads in seven countries↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceMetroTV NewsMeta blocks TikTok ads in several countries↩
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