Meta bans TikTok ads on its platforms in US
Meta has banned advertisements by ByteDance, the Chinese parent of TikTok, on its platforms in the US and six other countries, escalating the rivalry between the two tech giants. The ban takes effect immediately in the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, and extends to third-party advertisers running campaigns linking to TikTok.
Meta has banned advertisements by ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in the United States and six other countries. The ban takes effect immediately in the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, and also extends to third-party advertisers running campaigns that link to TikTok or other ByteDance properties in those countries. A Meta spokesperson said the company does not have to run ads from a competitor whose goal is to pull people off its apps, describing the move as a normal business practice. The decision marks an escalation in the long-running rivalry between Meta and ByteDance, whose video-sharing app TikTok has become one of Meta's most formidable competitors for user engagement, creators and advertising dollars. TikTok and ByteDance did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bloomberg News first reported the ban. Separately, Meta has been urging TikTok and YouTube to follow steps it agreed to take on teen safety in August following a settlement of up to $18 billion with US states over social media harms to children.