Meta has stopped TikTok and its parent company ByteDance from placing advertisements across its platforms in the United States and six other countries, escalating competition between the two social media giants.
The restriction took effect immediately in the United States, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. It also covers third-party advertisers whose campaigns direct users to TikTok or other ByteDance-owned services in those markets.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the decision was based on competition, arguing that it is not required to provide advertising services to a rival whose objective is to draw users away from its platforms.
“We don't have to run ads from a competitor whose goal is to pull people off our apps,” the company said, describing the decision as a normal business practice.
The move adds another layer to the long-running battle between Meta and TikTok for users, creators and advertising revenue.
TikTok and ByteDance had not publicly responded to Meta’s decision at the time of the reports.
The advertising restriction also comes amid growing scrutiny of social media platforms over the safety of young users. Meta has recently pushed TikTok and YouTube to adopt stronger measures to limit children's exposure to potentially harmful content.
TikTok has separately reached a settlement with the US state of Alabama requiring tighter age-verification measures and usage limits.
