TikTok Ads · TikTok Advertising Policies · View original document ↗

Targeting Restrictions for Minors

High severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Rare · 1 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

The policy prohibits targeting users under 13 and restricts targeting of users under 18 for specific product categories, while also prohibiting ad creative that is primarily designed to appeal to children in harmful ways or promote age-inappropriate products.

This analysis describes what TikTok Ads's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision establishes age-based targeting restrictions at two thresholds, under-13 and under-18, creating distinct compliance obligations for advertisers based on product category and audience targeting parameters.

Interpretive note: The specific list of product categories subject to under-18 targeting restrictions was not fully extractable from the truncated document source.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Under these terms, advertisers must configure audience targeting parameters to exclude users under 13 across all campaigns, and must additionally restrict under-18 targeting for product categories designated by TikTok as age-restricted. Creative content that is primarily designed to appeal to children in harmful ways will be subject to rejection.

How other platforms handle this

Revolut Medium

If you do not have a social security number you may still be eligible to open a limited Revolut personal account. Depending on your immigration status, we may ask you to provide us with a copy of your supported U.S. visa and may limit your access to certain products and features.

Medium Medium

Our Services are not directed to children under 13. If you learn that anyone younger than 13 has unlawfully provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@medium.com.

Tinder Medium

Our services are restricted to users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not permit users under the age of 18 on our platform and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you suspect that a user is under the age of 18, please use the reporting mechanism available...

See all platforms with this clause type →

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Advertisers must not target users under the age of 13. Certain categories of products and services may not be targeted to users under 18. Ads must not be designed to appeal primarily to children in ways that could cause harm or that promote products inappropriate for minors.

— Excerpt from TikTok Ads's TikTok Advertising Policies

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The under-13 targeting prohibition directly engages COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) in the US, enforced by the FTC, which restricts collection of personal information from children under 13 and prohibits targeting advertising at that age group without verifiable parental consent. The EU's GDPR and AVMS Directive impose parallel protections for minors in digital advertising. The UK's Children's Code (GDPR-derived) and the ICO's guidance on children's privacy are also relevant for UK-based campaigns. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. COPPA enforcement is active and penalties for violations involving children's data and advertising are significant. TikTok's own regulatory history with COPPA creates heightened scrutiny of its advertising partners' compliance with age-targeting provisions. Advertisers using behavioral or interest-based targeting should ensure their data sources and targeting parameters exclude known minors. JURISDICTION FLAGS: COPPA applies to all advertisers targeting US users, regardless of advertiser domicile. EU GDPR Article 8 sets the age of digital consent at 16 in most member states (with member state variation down to 13), creating different thresholds from TikTok's stated under-18 category restrictions. California's CPPA and CPRA add additional minor protection requirements for California residents. Illinois and other states with specific minor privacy laws may also create heightened exposure. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Advertisers using third-party data providers or audience segment tools should audit those vendors' data sourcing practices to confirm that audience segments used for TikTok targeting do not include individuals under 13 or, for restricted categories, under 18. Data processing agreements with such vendors should address minor exclusion requirements explicitly. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should review targeting configuration defaults and document the audience exclusion parameters applied to all active TikTok campaigns. For restricted product categories (alcohol, gambling, certain financial products), under-18 exclusion should be verified at the campaign setup stage and periodically audited during campaign runtime.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC enforces COPPA and has direct jurisdiction over advertising targeting practices involving children under 13, which this provision directly addresses.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Colorado AI Act
US-CO
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US
VPPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
TikTok Advertising Policies
Entity
TikTok Ads
Document last updated
May 20, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 21, 2026
Last verified
May 21, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-013194
Document ID
CA-D-00869
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
6757ed297e43f6a66a26b27a5d5560c033e0b6a85ce1359675edb297fbc61f7a
Analysis generated
May 21, 2026 06:04 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: TikTok Ads
Document: TikTok Advertising Policies
Record ID: CA-P-013194
Captured: 2026-05-21 06:04:28 UTC
SHA-256: 6757ed297e43f6a6…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/tiktok-ads/tiktok-advertising-policies/targeting-restrictions-for-minors/
Accessed: June 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does TikTok Ads's Targeting Restrictions for Minors clause do?

This provision establishes age-based targeting restrictions at two thresholds, under-13 and under-18, creating distinct compliance obligations for advertisers based on product category and audience targeting parameters.

How does this clause affect you?

Under these terms, advertisers must configure audience targeting parameters to exclude users under 13 across all campaigns, and must additionally restrict under-18 targeting for product categories designated by TikTok as age-restricted. Creative content that is primarily designed to appeal to children in harmful ways will be subject to rejection.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with TikTok Ads?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TikTok Ads.