We are continuing TikTok Facts, a new series intended to set the record straight about information we collect and how we use, share, and protect it. In this post, we're addressing some of the most common claims around our personalized advertising tools. We detail the information we collect in our privacy policy and you can learn more about our data practices in our privacy center.
Advertising on TikTok
Businesses show ads on TikTok to reach people in creative and meaningful ways. Ads help keep TikTok free for our community to use.
You will see different kinds of ads when you use TikTok. All of the ads that TikTok is paid to place in user feeds or the search page are clearly marked with a "Sponsored" or "Ad" icon. You can interact with the ad very much in the same way as content posted by users. For example, you can share, like, comment on, or replay an ad if the advertiser enables these features for a particular ad; you can also tailor your ad experience and mark "Not Interested" if you're not interested in an ad and want to see similar ads less frequently in the future.
TikTok Ad Policies determine the type of products and services that can be advertised on TikTok, in addition to the type of advertising content that is prohibited or restricted on our platform. Additionally, our terms instruct advertisers not to share certain data with us, such as health information, and we continuously work with our partners to avoid inadvertent transmission of such data.
Information we use for ads
We want advertising to enhance your TikTok experience by making it personalized to you and your interests. To achieve that, TikTok shows you relevant ads that use information you provide, that we automatically collect about you as you use TikTok, or that advertisers and measurement partners share about you, including:
Improving transparency and accountability
While some may find the inner workings of digital advertising confusing, we strive to communicate our ads practices simply and directly and aim to be transparent with our users on how and why they are receiving specific ads. We have built privacy into TikTok by design so that our community can confidently discover, create, and enjoy diverse and entertaining content. We offer users several tools to help customize what and how their data is shared:
Advertising tools
TikTok offers advertising tools that allow businesses to share information about the actions people take on their website, apps, and other properties with TikTok. Sharing these actions with TikTok helps advertisers measure how their ads perform, improve how and when to show their ads to people who may be interested in their products or services, and create target audiences. You can review your ad privacy settings in the TikTok app.
To help businesses share the actions people take on their websites with TikTok, TikTok offers the TikTok Pixel, code that brands can choose to place on their website, and Events API, a server-to-server connection, that brands can use to share information. With both tools, advertisers have choices over the data they share depending on their advertising goals. The TikTok Pixel, Events API or any TikTok advertising tool only receives information about your off TikTok activities when the advertiser chooses to share it with TikTok.
TikTok's advertising tools are created with safety and privacy as core requirements. We are continuously working to increase transparency about our platform and empower people with tools to control their advertising experience.
