TikTok personalized ads will be based on users in-app activities, such as liked videos and interactions with other ad units.
The new ads will start appearing on TikTok starting April 15.
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The change was announced on TikTok with the following message appearing in-feed:
“Upcoming changes to ads: To help TikTok stay free, we partner with advertisers to show you ads. Based on your settings, you currently see general ads that aren’t based on what you do on or off TikTok. Starting April 15, your settings will change, and the ads you’ll see may start to be based on what you do on TikTok. You still have control over whether ads can be more tailored to you based on data from our advertising partners.”
The changes will roll out worldwide, with the exception of the European Union, where GDPR is making it difficult to implement the change.
A spokesperson confirmed the upcoming update: “TikTok is committed to both respecting user privacy and building a personalized experience that enables meaningful connection between businesses and users. We will continue to be transparent about our data privacy practices and help users understand their privacy choices on our Safety Center.”
TikTok ads will be personalized based on a user’s activity on its own platform. Third-party data from TikTok’s advertising partners will also be used for personalization. But users will be able to manage these settings via their profiles.
TikTok explained further, “One of the reasons digital platforms like TikTok are so accessible is personalization. If a business owner wants to reach people who like cats, they can run an ad on TikTok or another online platform. Likewise, you’re more likely to see ads for products you might actually want to buy. In order for advertisers to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns, we work with measurement partners and offer solutions to measure performance while respecting the privacy of our users.”