TikTok Gets Chatty and More Transparent with Users and Advertisers

TikTok is taking some big steps to make it a little easier for users and advertisers to better understand how the platform handles ads for advertisers and users.


TikTok, of course, points out that "businesses show ads on TikTok to reach people in creative and meaningful ways. Ads help keep TikTok free for our community to use."

All of the ads that TikTok gets money for (sponsored ads) will be marked as "Sponsored" or with an "Ad" icon. The cool thing is that users can interact with the ads in the same way as any posted content.

If you were wondering how the platform is so knowledgeable about what you might be interested in, here are some ways TikTok targets users: location, language, device, and your on-and-off TikTok activity.

TikTok is getting transparent, too. Users can get the "skinny" on an ad, silence advertisers, clear off-TikTok activity, update ad interests, and change their language.

The company works hard to explain its ad practices and wants to simplify and be direct with users and advertisers alike. They stress that privacy is built into the platform by design so the community can "confidently discover, create, and enjoy diverse and entertaining content."

The platform is showing love to advertisers by offering tools that let businesses share information about the actions people take on their websites, apps, and other properties with TikTok. The company says that "sharing these actions with them 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."

If you run ads, this is good news for you.

The company insists its advertising tools are created with safety and privacy in mind. "We are continuously working to increase transparency about our platform and empower people with tools to control their advertising experience."

Whether you are a creator, a casual user, or an advertiser, TikTok's efforts to be chatty and transparent are noted and appreciated.

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