Summary

• TikTok is a rapidly growing short video social media platform with over 1 billion active monthly users as of June 2022. Approximately 63% of users on TikTok are under the age of 29 and 28% are under 18. Due to TikTok’s young user base—alcohol advertising is largely banned by the platform’s guidelines and policies.
• Limited research exists investigating alcohol advertising or promotion on TikTok. The evidence available suggests alcohol is portrayed positively. No research examines the potential financial drivers of alcohol-related content, including advertising, on TikTok.
• We identify five categories with examples of alcohol advertising on TikTok requiring further investigation, including: direct influencer advertising, the presence of alcohol companies or service accounts, online bartenders, indirect alcohol sponsorship via creator page links and user-generated content.

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