Meta has fully blocked TikTok-related ads on its platforms in seven countries including the United States and Japan. It said there is no reason to run ads on Facebook and Instagram that steer users to a competing platform.

IT media outlet Engadget recently reported that Meta banned ByteDance advertising and paid marketing in seven countries: the United States, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. The restrictions cover not only ads run directly by ByteDance but also campaigns by third-party advertisers that link to ByteDance services such as TikTok.

Meta spokesperson Chris Sgro (크리스 스그로) said, "We are under no obligation to run a competitor's ads that try to pull people away from our apps." He explained that not providing advertising services to competitors is common business practice. Meta said it will continue to compete by prioritising service quality and user experience.

The move comes as competition between the two companies intensifies over users and the advertising market. TikTok is restricting link features that connect directly to other social media apps. Meta has also publicly urged TikTok and YouTube to strengthen protections for minors.

Meta reached a settlement proposal worth up to $18 billion, about 24.192 trillion won, with U.S. state governments in August. Under the plan, it will strengthen safety features on Facebook and Instagram, including limiting teens' daily usage time and controlling late-night use. Meta also ran ads in major newspapers saying competitors should adopt similar standards. It also laid out a policy to further strengthen limits on teens' usage time if competitors join in.

The European Commission in July announced preliminary investigation findings that TikTok's public settings for minor accounts do not meet safety standards. If violations are confirmed, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6 percent of its annual revenue.

TikTok in September reached an agreement with the U.S. state of Alabama on limiting teens' usage time and strengthening age verification. TikTok and ByteDance have not issued an official position on Meta's latest decision to block ads.