TikTok · TikTok Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Platform Customization and Advertising

Medium severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

TikTok uses information about your activity, the accounts you follow, your device, and your settings to personalize your feed and the ads you see both on and off the TikTok platform. You can adjust some of these settings to control how your information is used for ad targeting.

This analysis describes what TikTok'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 the operational framework for personalization and ad targeting across the Platform. It defines the data inputs (user engagement, interests, device settings) that inform content and ad curation, while acknowledging user-accessible controls over ad-related data usage.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

This provision authorizes TikTok to use your activity on the platform, who you follow, your device settings, and your interests to personalize advertising shown on and off TikTok, with some user controls available in platform settings.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Opt Out of Arbitration
    Open TikTok, go to Settings and Privacy, then select Ads, and review the ad personalization options to adjust how your information is used for ad targeting on and off the platform.

How other platforms handle this

Apple App Store Medium

Ads that are delivered by Apple's advertising platform may appear on the App Store, Apple News, Stocks, and Apple TV app depending on your location. Apple's advertising platform does not track you, meaning that it does not link user or device data collected from our apps with user or device data col...

Snapchat Medium

We collect information from and about the third parties you link to your account and from other sources, including from other Snap users and third parties, to provide services and personalize your experience... We also infer information about you based on what we observe... This can include inferenc...

Shopify Medium

We share information with third parties who help us operate our business, including to assist us with marketing campaigns, advertising, analytics and research. These service providers are given access to your information as reasonably necessary to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated ...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
To make the Platform more relevant and enjoyable for you, we customize parts of your experience on the Platform to show you creators and content we think you will be interested in, including ads and other content sponsored by or in collaboration with our creators and our partners. We customize what you see on the Platform based on, for example, the users you follow and engage with, your interests and activity on the Platform, popularity of videos, diversity among content, your device and account settings, and language preference. We may also customize your experience, including the ads you see on and off the Platform. Based on the settings we offer, you may control how your information is used to inform the ads we show you.

— Excerpt from TikTok's TikTok Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Behavioral advertising practices including off-platform ad targeting engage the CCPA's right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, the FTC Act's guidance on digital advertising disclosures, and applicable state consumer privacy laws. The FTC's Endorsement Guides may also be relevant to the disclosure of sponsored and collaborative content referenced in this provision. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The authorization to customize ads shown off the platform, while disclosed, may engage additional cross-context behavioral advertising obligations under the CCPA and similar state laws, particularly regarding the adequacy of the opt-out mechanism referenced in the provision. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California residents have specific opt-out rights under the CCPA regarding the use of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and other states with comprehensive consumer privacy laws have similar opt-out rights that may apply to TikTok's off-platform ad targeting practices. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Advertisers and brand partners using TikTok's advertising platform should note that the platform's audience targeting capabilities are disclosed as drawing on user activity and engagement data. The reference to BD TikTok USA LLC and affiliates as service providers involved in advertising and commercial services means ad-related data flows may involve additional entities. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should evaluate whether TikTok's platform settings for ad personalization controls constitute a CCPA-compliant opt-out mechanism for cross-context behavioral advertising. Data mapping should account for the off-platform ad targeting capability, which implies data flows to or from advertising partners and networks outside the TikTok platform itself.

Full compliance analysis

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

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over digital advertising disclosure and behavioral advertising practices under the FTC Act's unfair or deceptive practices standards
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    State Attorneys General in California and other states with comprehensive consumer privacy laws have jurisdiction over cross-context behavioral advertising opt-out rights
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

EU AI Act
European Union
BIPA
Illinois, USA
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
COPPA
United States Federal
Colorado AI Act
US-CO
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
ePrivacy Directive
European Union
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
UK GDPR
United Kingdom

Provision details

Document information
Document
TikTok Terms of Service
Entity
TikTok
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 6, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-011777
Document ID
CA-D-00032
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
d3539721aabef48180e1d19544aec3d5ebb50fb5a6fa66c261148d6a86e4976d
Analysis generated
March 6, 2026 20:11 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: TikTok
Document: TikTok Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-011777
Captured: 2026-03-06 20:11:40 UTC
SHA-256: d3539721aabef481…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/tiktok/tiktok-terms-of-service/platform-customization-and-advertising/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does TikTok's Platform Customization and Advertising clause do?

This provision establishes the operational framework for personalization and ad targeting across the Platform. It defines the data inputs (user engagement, interests, device settings) that inform content and ad curation, while acknowledging user-accessible controls over ad-related data usage.

How does this clause affect you?

This provision authorizes TikTok to use your activity on the platform, who you follow, your device settings, and your interests to personalize advertising shown on and off TikTok, with some user controls available in platform settings.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with TikTok?

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