Meta bans TikTok ads in 7 countries including Egypt
Meta has banned ads for TikTok and ByteDance on Facebook and Instagram in seven countries, including Egypt and the United States, stating that it is not obligated to run ads for a competitor.
Meta has banned advertisements related to the TikTok app and its parent company, ByteDance, on Facebook and Instagram platforms across seven countries including Egypt, the United States, and Japan, according to Digital Today citing Engadget. The covered countries also include Canada, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The ban extends to direct advertisements and paid marketing messages from ByteDance, in addition to campaigns purchased by third-party advertisers that include links leading to the company's services such as TikTok. Meta spokesperson Chris Sgro stated that the company is "under no obligation to run ads for a competitor attempting to pull users away from our apps," noting that withholding advertising services from competitors is a common business practice.
The move comes at a time when competition between the two companies for users and the advertising market is intensifying, according to Digital Today. In July, the European Commission announced the results of a preliminary investigation concluding that the default settings for minors' accounts on TikTok do not meet safety standards, and the platform could face a fine of up to 6% of its annual revenue if violations are confirmed. In September, TikTok reached an agreement with the US state of Alabama to limit usage times for minors and strengthen age verification.
Neither TikTok nor ByteDance has yet issued an official statement regarding Meta's move, according to Digital Today. The decision carries particular significance in the Arab region because Egypt was specifically named among the covered countries, meaning that advertisers and agencies running TikTok-related campaigns in Egypt will be directly affected by this ban.
What do these terms mean?
ByteDance: The Chinese company that owns the TikTok application, considered one of the largest technology companies in the world.
Digital Advertising: Paid space that appears to a user inside an application or website, with its price typically determined through real-time auction mechanisms.
Third Party: An intermediary company that purchases ad space and manages campaigns on behalf of advertisers.
Weekly Newsletter
Read between the lines before everyone else. Decode the most important economic, tech, and decision-maker movements in the region.. in 5 minutes every Saturday.
