What's Next: Building for Brand Safety
There is no "job done" when it comes to brand safety, particularly as it is constantly evolving and becoming more nuanced.
At TikTok, we have always been committed to creating a trusted environment for brands, built on a foundation of safety, transparency and accountability - because when we talk about brand safety, it all goes back to brands and advertisers trusting where their content shows up. To build towards that trust, we have taken a holistic approach to brand safety on TikTok across four strategic pillars.
TikTok's Four Pillars of Brand Safety
Our approach starts, first and foremost, with keeping our community safe. When we do so, we not only create a safe place for our users to authentically express themselves, but, in turn, a positive environment to build brands and reach our community in a meaningful way. In 2021, we worked diligently to live up to our commitment by introducing an array of products and initiatives that reflect our ongoing dedication to the safety of the TikTok community, like age appropriate privacy and safety settings, tools to promote kindness, combat bullying and curb the spread of misinformation, as well as campaigns to promote awareness around bullying.
➤ Building Brand-Safe Solutions
We have also been listening closely to our brand partners, who are an integral part of - and built seamlessly into - the TikTok community. We get that more control over where ads appear is of paramount importance, and throughout 2021 we expanded our offerings to advertisers that help ensure branded content shows up adjacent to safe and suitable videos. Working both in-house and with 3rd-party partners we now offer four innovative brand safety solutions for advertisers on TikTok: our proprietary TikTok Inventory Filter, pre-bid solutions from OpenSlate and IAS and a post-bid solution from Zefr. We are also constantly iterating and expanding these offerings to different markets and ad buying types.
➤ Championing Transparency and Accountability
In order to keep everyone informed about the steps we are taking to keep our community safe, we are striving to be the most transparent and accountable company in the industry by giving unprecedented insights into our operations. In 2021 we launched our first two quarterly Community Guidelines Enforcement Reports and held tours of our pioneering Transparency and Accountability Centers, as well as announced plans for a new physical center in Ireland to build on our two previously announced centers in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. What's more, we revamped our Transparency Center on the TikTok website to keep the public informed of our efforts in the space.
Finally, we wouldn't be where we are if it weren't for our partners - because we are always stronger when we work together. 2021 saw an expansion and deepening of safety partnerships for TikTok, like joining the Technology Coalition, participating in the inaugural GARM Aggregated Measurement Report, taking a seat on the Brand Safety Institute's Board of Advisors and becoming TAG Brand Safety Certified globally by the Trustworthy Accountability Group. At TikTok we take our partnerships seriously, both to help inform our own operations and ultimately to push the industry forward for the greater good of the digital ecosystem.
2021 Highlights
A snapshot of some of TikTok's milestones in safety and transparency last year:
JAN Introduced new default privacy and safety settings for youth
FEB Released our H2 2020 Transparency Report
MAR Expanded markets for our TikTok Brand Safety Solution, Verified by OpenSlate
APR Joined the Brand Safety Institute's Board of Advisors; participated in the first GARM Aggregated Measurement Report
JUN Released our first quarterly Community Guidelines Enforcement Report (Q1 2021)
JUL Achieved TAG Brand Safety Certified status globally
AUG Expanded privacy and safety settings for teens
SEP Officially announced our TikTok Inventory Filter; IAS & Zefr Partnerships
OCT Released our second quarterly Community Guidelines Enforcement Report (Q2 2021)
NOV Participated in the second GARM Aggregated Measurement Report
DEC Launched our new Transparency Reports and refreshed Transparency Center
Looking Ahead
There is no "job done" when it comes to brand safety, particularly as it is constantly evolving and becoming more nuanced. Looking ahead to 2022 we will continue to prioritize the safety of our community, new solutions for brands, transparency, and partnerships as we continue to foster a positive environment for creative expression where brands can build, reach new customers and more.
"For our advertisers, we are developing a number of additional controls to ensure that they feel confident their investment runs in an environment suitable for their brand. This will include various first-party solutions such as category exclusion and inventory tiers, in addition to expanding our solutions with third-party partners to offer more customization."
— Jon Schmucler Global Head of Product Marketing, Measurement Solutions
Finally, we are dedicated to continuing to work with our partners like GARM, TAG and the Brand Safety Institute to enhance brand safety education and push the industry forward in the interest of building a safer digital ecosystem globally.