TikTok Earns TAG Brand Safety Certification Around the World, Giving Advertisers More Confidence

TikTok has received TAG Brand Safety Certification, which gives additional assurance surrounding its ad goods and data based on approved TAG requirements. TikTok obtained its first TAG Brand Safety Certification for the UK in September 2020, coinciding with the program's introduction. In February of this year, they also acquired certificates in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The certification is an important element of their continued commitment to providing users and brands with a safe, transparent, and trustworthy platform.

The TAG accreditation program, as TikTok points out, was established in September of last year with a variety of business partners. TikTok has worked hard to fulfill the needs of each location in order to grow its ad business. TAG certification has also been granted to Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Pinterest. In March, TikTok announced the expansion of its brand safety agreement with OpenSlate.

Providers must ensure the following in order to receive TAG Brand Safety Certification approval:

• The program's Brand Safety Principles apply to all new and modified agreements for digital advertising services, including particular brand safety criteria, policies, and procedures, as well as a takedown, monitoring, and compliance requirements. Contracts must additionally stipulate the usage of Content Verification services or inclusion/exclusion lists that have been independently vetted.

• As stipulated in its digital advertising agreements, all monetizable transactions are verified by one or more independently certified Content Verification services or inclusion/exclusion lists.

• To reduce the possibility of ad misplacement, all policies and procedures must be documented.

So, while it's not an all-encompassing security checklist, it does provide extra, independent verification that these platforms are adhering to industry-standard standards and delivering the reach that they claim.

TikTok is seeking to expand its ad platform in order to profit from its tremendous user growth, with the app on course to reach a billion users by 2021, putting it in direct rivalry with Instagram. However, TikTok's monetization processes are still lagging behind those of its larger competitors, and there's a risk that if it can't turn its growth momentum into greater monetization options, creators will seek other platforms where they can directly benefit from their work. That's why TikTok is putting money into eCommerce and direct marketing activities, as well as expanding its Creator Marketplace to make it easier for brands and creators to collaborate.

Because TikTok is still a new kid on the block and some firms may be wary of investing too significantly in its ad products, at least at this time, obtaining TAG certification is also important. Having a measure of third-party verification adds additional assurance and gives TikTok more opportunities to expand its business.