Meta has banned TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, from advertising on Facebook, Instagram and its other platforms in seven countries, escalating its rivalry with the Chinese technology company over users and advertising revenue.
The restrictions, which took effect immediately on Thursday, cover the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. They also apply to third-party advertisers running campaigns that direct users to TikTok and other ByteDance services in those markets.
“We don’t have to run ads from a competitor whose goal is to pull people off our apps,” Meta spokesperson Chris Sgro said, describing the decision as standard business practice.
The move comes amid growing tensions between the two companies, which compete for users, content creators and advertising spending. Meta has also pressed TikTok and Google’s YouTube to adopt stronger child-safety measures following an August settlement worth up to US$18 billion with US states over alleged harm to children.
Meta agreed to introduce daily usage limits, restrict overnight use by children and strengthen safeguards against age-restricted content on Facebook and Instagram.
TikTok has not publicly responded to Meta’s campaign. In September, however, it reached a settlement with Alabama requiring tighter usage limits and improved age-verification measures.
The advertising ban adds another front to the competition between the platforms, restricting ByteDance’s ability to promote its services through Meta’s extensive advertising network in the seven affected markets.
