Meta bans TikTok ads across multiple countries, including US
What's the story
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has banned ads from TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance across the US and other countries, Bloomberg reported. The ban, which went into effect on Thursday, includes ads and paid promotional content from ByteDance as well as third-party ads directing users to TikTok. The decision comes amid intensifying competition between major social media players.
Official statement
Refusing promotional services to a competitor is common business practice
Meta's spokesperson, Christopher Sgro, explained the reasoning behind the ban.
In a statement to The Verge, Sgro said, "We don't have to run ads from a competitor whose goal is to pull people off our apps."
He further emphasized that refusing promotional services to a competitor is a common business practice across industries and that Meta will continue to compete based on product quality and user experience.
Global reach
Ad ban applies in Canada and other countries too
The ad ban isn't just limited to the US. It also applies in Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The policy will also apply to third-party advertisers running ads linking to TikTok and other ByteDance properties in these countries.
This is a major move by Meta against its rival platforms across multiple global markets.
Safety measures
It follows Meta's child safety settlement
The ad ban comes months after Meta reached a major child safety settlement, agreeing to pay $17 billion and implement new restrictions for teens.
Since then, Meta has been pushing TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar measures.
However, TikTok has remained silent on the matter and even rejected ads from Meta asking it to agree to similar concessions on child safety.