Meta has officially prohibited ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, from purchasing advertising space on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The policy, which took effect on Thursday, applies to the United States and several other international markets. The restriction covers direct marketing from ByteDance as well as third-party advertisements that direct users to TikTok.

Meta spokesperson Christopher Sgro defended the decision by framing it as a standard business strategy. According to Sgro, Meta is not obligated to provide advertising services to a direct competitor whose primary objective is to migrate users away from Meta’s own applications. While Meta characterizes this as a routine business practice, the move highlights the intensifying competition between the two tech giants as they vie for user attention and advertising revenue.

Currently, there is no public response from ByteDance regarding the ban. The Verge reports that the decision was made to prevent a competitor from utilizing Meta’s infrastructure to grow its own user base. While the move is presented by Meta as a logical step in market competition, it marks a significant escalation in the ongoing rivalry between the two companies, effectively cutting off one of TikTok's primary channels for paid user acquisition.