Scoop: TikTok rejects Meta ads amid settlement pressure campaign
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
TikTok has rejected ads from Meta that call on TikTok and other tech platforms to join Meta in settling with U.S. state attorneys general in a landmark children's safety lawsuit, sources told Axios.
Why it matters: Part of Meta's historic multibillion-dollar settlement is contingent on its peers also agreeing to settle. Other tech firms have yet to publicly comment on their plans.
Zoom in: Meta has been running a public campaign to encourage TikTok and YouTube to join its settlement through statements and advertisements. Snap Inc., which is notably not mentioned in its campaign, appears poised to settle.
- Meta argues it will face a competitive disadvantage if it's the only platform forced to add restrictions as part of a settlement.
- The company says it will pay an additional $5 billion, on top of the roughly $12 billion it has agreed to in its settlement, if other tech firms agree to the same terms.
State of play: Meta tried to place ads on TikTok earlier this month, but TikTok rejected those ads on Wednesday, arguing they violated its policies because they contained "political content," sources said.
- TikTok doesn't accept political ads. It argues, "the nature of political ads is not something we believe fits the TikTok experience."
- The video ad features text and an image with a voiceover that urges TikTok and YouTube to join Meta's settlement, a source said.
Between the lines: Asked about the ad, Meta said, "To truly empower parents and keep teens safe across the apps they use the most, TikTok and YouTube need to step up and meet the standard we've set with state attorneys general."
- "While it's disappointing that they've chosen not to engage, we remain hopeful that they'll do the right thing."
- TikTok and YouTube didn't respond to a request for comment.
The intrigue: TikTok and YouTube have not engaged Meta publicly about the issue.
- Both companies appear to have backed out of a Health and Human Services panel last week on children's screen time. A draft of the agenda circulated in August, seen by Axios, included both companies — but neither showed up.
- In the wake of Meta's settlement, TikTok also pulled out of a congressional meeting with the China Select Committee.
Zoom out: Meta and TikTok have a history of public relations spats. In 2022, the Washington Post reported that Meta engaged a Republican consulting firm to run a public opinion campaign about TikTok.
