• Organizational Note: The project at SNV/interface that build the basis of this blog ended in 2024. This blog is now maintained by Martin Degeling and is no longer affiliated with SNV/interface.*

In the course of my work with https://aiforensics.org/, I am still analysing advertisements on TikTok, primarily utilizing the ad library mandated by the Digital Services Act (DSA), which TikTok operates at https://library.tiktok.com/.

Last year, we had alread outlined several critical points regarding the https://tiktok-audit.com/blog/category/ad-library/, which mostly remain unchanged:

Not much has changed, since the ad library has not seen any noticeable update since it’s launch in summer 2024. But over the last weeeks I have noticed additional problems that hinder the effective use of the ad library for research and analysis purposes:

Interface Issues

The ad library’s interface presents significant challenges for research and investigation. Consider the following scenario: I wanted to determine if any ads related to Alice Weidel had been posted since January 1, 2025, which would violate TikTok’s policies.

Problem 1: Time Selection

The time selection field is always set to October 2022, requiring 27 clicks to select the January 2025 period.

Problem 2: Search Modes

The search function has two modes:

  • Exact Search: Using the search term “alice weidel” in quotation marks yields 0 results: https://library.tiktok.com/ads?region=DE&start_time=1735686000000&end_time=1738710000000&adv_name=%22alice%20weidel%22&adv_biz_ids=&query_type=1&sort_type=last_shown_date,desc

  • Inexact Search: Without quotation marks, the search yields 747 results: https://library.tiktok.com/ads?region=DE&start_time=1735686000000&end_time=1738710000000&adv_name=alice%20weidel&adv_biz_ids=&query_type=1&sort_type=last_shown_date,desc

This requires extensive patience and scrolling through endless duplicates of videos from Plarium Global LTD to find relevant information. For example, finding an ad from the user “alice_weidel_deutschland” requires considerable effort: https://library.tiktok.com/ads/detail/?ad_id=1820418463412306.

Missing Data

Besides the aforementioned issues with missing description data and slideshows, I have observed additional problems:

These issues highlight the ongoing challenges with TikTok’s ad library, which impede effective research and analysis. Addressing these problems is crucial for ensuring transparency and compliance with regulatory requirements.