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TikTok Advertising Policies - Ad Creatives and Landing Page: Prohibited Content
Last updated, January 2024

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Prohibited content 

Materials or scenarios featured in ad creatives and landing pages must be compliant with local laws and with our Ads Policy. For more information, please refer to TikTok Ads - First Things to Note.


1.0 Community standards

Ad creatives must adhere to the Terms of Service and Community Guidelines of TikTok.


2.0 Illegal services and activity

Prohibited：

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display, facilitate, or promote services or activities considered as illegal in a given jurisdiction.


3.0 Drugs and drug paraphernalia

Prohibited：

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display or promote illegal drugs, controlled drugs, prescription drug abuse, recreational drugs, drug paraphernalia, or accessories or supplies any of such, including the use of them.

Note: Displaying or promoting prescription drugs is prohibited in some markets. Please take a look at this article for matters relating to market-specific prohibitions: TikTok Advertising Policies - Industry Entry


4.0 Weapons, ammunition, and explosives

Prohibited：

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display or promote the use of dangerous weapons, ammunition, or explosives in real life, including but not limited to guns, explosives, bombs, or other objects that are designed to cause harm to individuals.


5.0 Tobacco products and smoking

Prohibited：

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display or promote tobacco, tobacco-related products such as cigars, tobacco pipes, rolling papers, or e-cigarettes, or smoking-related behavior in real life, including but not limited to alternatives that imitate the act of smoking.


6.0 Political and issue-based advertising

We do not allow ad content and landing pages to feature political or issue-based advertising.


TikTok Advertising Policies - Ad Creatives Political and issue-based advertising includes:

  • Ads that reference, promote, or oppose candidates or nominees for public office, political parties, or elected or appointed government officials;

  • Ads that reference an election, including voter registration, voter turnout, and appeals for votes;

  • Ads that include advocacy for or against past, current, or proposed referenda, ballot measures, and legislative, judicial, or regulatory outcomes or processes;

    • This includes ads that promote or attack government policies or track records;

  • Ads that reference, promote, or sell, merchandise that features prohibited individuals, entities, or content, including campaign slogans, symbols, or logos.


7.0 Military content

Prohibited：

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display negative content regarding the military or police symbols, sensitive military events, militarism, the advocating or whitewashing of war, terrorism, illegal organizations, or unlawful elements.


8.0 Discriminatory content 

Prohibited：

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to contain content that discriminates or harasses, encourages discrimination or harassment, or includes hate speech against protected groups, individuals, or organizations based on protected personal characteristics, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, family status, medical or genetic condition. This is discussed further in TikTok’s Anti-Discrimination Ad Policy.


9.0 Adult and sexual content 


Prohibited：

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display or promote the use of prohibited adult products or services.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display sexual activities or behaviors that are overly suggestive or sexually provocative.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display nudity, make sexual references, or sexually portray a person.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display excessive visible skin.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to focus on individual intimate body parts, such as a genitalia, buttocks, breasts.


10.0 Intellectual Property Infringement


Prohibited：

A. Ad creatives & landing page must not display elements related to TikTok without TikTok's permission.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display the TikTok logo without TikTok's permission.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to include the description of "TikTok Bestseller" without TikTok's permission.

  • We do not allow landing pages to imitate the interface of TikTok's hashtag challenge page without TikTok's permission.


B. Ad creatives & landing page must not display content that infringes or violates the rights of any third party, including, but not limited to, trademarks, marks, logos, brands, service marks, trade names, or other personal or proprietary rights.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display third-party names in a way that could mislead users about the advertiser’s brand affiliation.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display apps or security cameras or any software/equipment intended to film others without their permission.

  • We do not allow ad content to display personal data information, such as official ID, banking or financial account details, or house/email addresses. Phone numbers are acceptable only if they are the contact information of the advertiser.


C. Ad creatives & landing page must not display or promote counterfeit products.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display or promote counterfeit documents, such as counterfeit degrees, passports, or immigration papers.

  • We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display counterfeit or unauthorized replicas of a real product.

Note: If you are unsure whether you own the rights to a particular work or have concerns about making an infringement report, please consult an attorney or a legal advisor as TikTok cannot provide legal advice. 


Please take a look at this article for matters relating to Intellectual Property Infringement Rules for Ads.


11.0 Misleading Claims & Inconsistent Information

Prohibited：

A. Ad creatives must not contain an exaggerated performance or promise concerning a product's effect.

  • e.g. Lotion: Get slim legs right away.

  • e.g. Financial Product: Get money in 10 seconds.

  • e.g. Claims of cures for incurable diseases.

  • e.g. Showing wrinkles disappearing through "before and after" comparisons by using a cream.


B. Ad creatives & landing page must not contain a malicious comparison with other brands.

  • e.g This product is XX cheaper than the ABC website.


C. Ad creatives must not contain invalid buttons, induced gestures, or text (buttons/gestures/text that portray unsupported functionality).

  • e.g. "Swipe up to learn more" text in an ad, if swiping up will just lead users to the next video and not lead them anywhere.


D. Ad creatives & landing page must not contain mismatching or inconsistent information on the promotion, price, discounts, or any of such, including the absence of information, missing disclaimers, or T&Cs.

  • e.g. Discount in the ad says 50% off, but discount on the landing page states 40% off.

  • e.g. Promotion in ad says "Prizes to be won", but no relevant information is found on landing page.


E. Landing page must not contain a pop-up window that cannot be closed or skipped (Applicable for all regions except US/CA and LATAM).

  • e.g. Landing page features a pop-up window that cannot be bypassed without providing personal information to the seller.


Note: 

  • We expect advertisers to disclose all associated fees, premium rate services, and billing practices to our users in accordance with local laws and regulations. Ads must disclose full details of the cost of using the promoted product or service. We reserve the right to remove ads in violation of our policy. 

  • Ad creatives & landing page featuring a Performance Promise + Time Limit claim may be subject to restrictions. 


12.0 Misleading, Inauthentic, and Deceptive Behaviors

TikTok prohibits behaviors that are misleading, inauthentic, and deceptive in order to protect the integrity, authenticity, and safety of our platform. Accounts that engage in these behaviors or exhibit patterns of abuse may be suspended or banned.


13.0 Sensational and Shocking Content


Prohibited：

A. Ad creatives must not display bloody or gruesome imagery or graphic images that are likely to shock or scare users.

  • e.g. A crime scene or images of accidents.

  • e.g. A horrific or bloody scene.


B. Ad creatives must not contain disgusting imagery that may cause an uncomfortable user experience.

  • e.g. Visuals of sexual fluids, human, or animal waste.

  • e.g. Visuals that show dirt coming out of pores of the face or hair being pulled out of the drainage.


C. Ad creatives must not contain content that displays crime, excessive violence, cruelty, or gratuitous violence towards animals.

  • e.g. Ads displaying real fighting with bloody scenes.

  • e.g. Ads displaying animal cruelty, such as cock fighting or dog fighting.


D. Ad creatives & landing page must not contain coarse language or insulting actions.


E. Ad creatives must not display dangerous (or harmful) behaviors without safety protection.

  • e.g. Content that shows the Parkour or building jumping: Ads showing extreme parkour are prohibited(defined as featuring significant height or risk). Ads featuring any other parkour are judged on a case-by-case basis based on the level of risk and harm involved, but would only be accepted with 18+ age targeting applied and a 'do not try this at home' (or equivalent) disclaimer.

  • e.g. Content that shows the potentially inappropriate use of dangerous tools, vehicles, or objects.

  • e.g. Content that depicts or promotes ingesting substances that are not meant for consumption or could lead to severe harm.

  • e.g. Dangerous games, dares, or stunts that might lead to injury.


F. Ad creatives must not feature content that could incite fear or panic, which may cause harm to users.

  • e.g. Content that depicts or promotes phrases such as "you may be in danger" or "virus detected, remove it now"


Dangerous or harmful behavior:

Prohibited：

  • Ads must not depict inherently dangerous or illegal behaviors.

  • Ads must not include dangerous behavior that can be easily copied and would be likely to lead to physical harm to an individual or to the public.

  • Ads must not encourage users to engage in potentially harmful behavior (e.g., Now it's your turn) - no exceptions.

Allowed (Exceptions)：

  • Exceptions could be made for depictions of films, games, and cartoons; obviously exaggerated, implausible, fantasy-like behaviors, and behaviors shown to demonstrate a safety message in an educational context. These policies are not intended to capture safely depicted extreme sports or clearly professional stunts. Ads may be rejected if the professional nature or sporting context of these exceptions are not clear, or if safety measures are ambiguous. If approved depictions of stunts or extreme sports are easy for people to copy, 18+ age targeting and a 'do not try this at home' (or equivalent) warning may be required for approval.


14.0 Inappropriate or Unsuitable Content

Prohibited：

Ad creatives & landing page must not feature inappropriate or unsuitable content, such as:

  • Content that features dangerous, harmful, or violent acts.

  • Content that is derogatory, inflammatory, or demeaning.

  • Content that is distasteful, disrespectful, or profane.

  • Content that is referencing and exploiting a sensitive event or topic through garnering followers, profiteering through the sale of goods or services, inappropriate hashtag use, or any of such. These events could be natural or human-caused disasters, attacking an individual or a community, protests, deaths or injuries, or any of such, including Covid-19.


15.0 Excessive Purchasing

Prohibited：

  • Ad creatives & landing page must not promote excessive purchasing of items assisted via delayed payment services such as credit cards, loan financing, and "buy now, pay later" services.

  • Ad creatives & landing page must not explicitly or implicitly suggest that BNPLs is a risk-free way of spending money.

Allowed (Exceptions)：

  • Ad creatives depicting the instructional process of how consumers can obtain a loan, credit cards, or use "buy now, pay later" services may be allowed if it is not given prominence over other content shown in the ad creative.


16.0 Data Collection

Ads must guarantee that any personal information which is collected in the ad is collected and processed securely and in accordance with local laws and that the privacy policy should be accessible to any individual whose data is being collected and processed. 


Lead Generation

Advertisers must not use Lead Generation to collect the following prohibited information without TikTok’s prior written consent.


Prohibited:

  • Information about or revealing racial or ethnic origin.

  • Information about or revealing political opinions or political affiliations.

  • Information about or revealing religious or philosophical beliefs.

  • Information about or revealing trade union membership status.

  • Information concerning health: such as medical history, disabilities, mental or physical condition, or medical treatments.

  • Information concerning a person’s sex life.

  • Information concerning a person’s sexual orientation, including what gender(s) the person identifies with.

  • Information about criminal allegations, arrests, proceedings or convictions of related security measures.

  • Government-issued ID numbers: such as social security number, passport number, driver’s license number, or taxpayer/national identification number.

  • Financial information: such as income, bank account number, net worth, credit or debit card number, tax number, CVV, credit scores, debt, financial statement, or bankruptcy status.

  • Insurance information: such as insurance policy numbers or insurance coverage.

  • Network identity information: usernames, passwords, password protection answers, or a user's personal digital certificates.

  • Account numbers: such as loyalty card numbers or frequent flyer numbers.

  • User's date of birth, year of birth, or exact age.


17.0 Misinformation

TikTok does not allow inaccurate, misleading, or false content that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent.


Prohibited:

  • Ad creatives & landing page must not display dangerous misinformation, medical misinformation, manipulated media and dangerous conspiracy theories


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