Meta has officially blocked advertising from rival platform TikTok across its own services, a move the company defended as standard commercial behavior. According to a report by Bloomberg, the social media giant stated that refusing promotional services to competitors is a “normal business practice.”
The decision follows recent actions by TikTok, which removed profile links to Instagram and Facebook and rejected Meta’s advertising system. These steps appear linked to broader pressures on TikTok and other social networks to adopt stricter safety features for underage users, following Meta’s own compliance with a landmark child safety settlement.
On Thursday, Meta confirmed that the ban covers ads and marketing from ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok and its US minority owner. The restriction applies in the United States, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It also extends to third-party advertisers running campaigns associated with TikTok within those jurisdictions.
“We don’t have to run ads from a competitor whose goal is to pull people off our apps,” Meta spokesperson Chris Sgro told Bloomberg.
The escalating tension comes as Meta faces increasing scrutiny over youth safety. In August, the company agreed to an $18 billion settlement with US states alleging harms to young users, which mandated the implementation of enhanced child protection features on Facebook and Instagram. Legal analysts noted this settlement could compel competitors, particularly YouTube and TikTok, to overhaul their own safety protocols.
Internationally, European regulators have also criticized TikTok, stating the platform has not done enough to protect minors and warning of potential fines amounting to up to six percent of its annual revenue. This regulatory landscape places TikTok and YouTube in a vulnerable position, as both face pressure from government bodies and Meta itself. Earlier this year, Meta purchased full-page newspaper advertisements demanding similar safety reforms from rivals, while simultaneously highlighting TikTok’s absence from several US government meetings focused on these issues.
ByteDance will probably ban Meta ads from Douyin next. It’s already an ad war, and we’re just collateral damage.
Competitors should compete, not block each other. This feels like bullying disguised as ethics. Regulators need to step in.
I assumed this was just a business tactic. Did I miss something? Are they really doing this over minor safety standards?
It’s wild that Meta is lecturing on safety while paying an $18 billion fine just months ago. Hypocrisy at its finest.