Tumblr Global Advertising Policy Last Modified: 2022-11-23
Hello, advertiser! Welcome to Tumblr’s advertising policies, which follow below. Besides requiring that your ads comply with all necessary laws and regulations, they’re meant to guide you toward creating the high-quality content that Tumblr is known for. Do note, however, that these policies are not legal advice. For legal advice, you should google “lawyer” and see what comes up.
These policies apply to all of Tumblr’s advertising products. Every last one of them (and this includes self-service advertising products). Check out our business page for a full explanation of all our offerings, or talk to one of our brand strategists.
Our policies will be modified from time to time, either in the text of the document itself, or in detailed explanations that this document links to.
Looking for information about our other policies? The ones that apply to more than just advertising? Wonderful. It’s nice to finally meet someone with a diverse set of interests. You’ll find them in our Terms of Service.
Guiding Principles
Tumblr is the birthplace of, and destination for, everything interesting on the internet. Welcome. You’re a part of it, now.
We hold our products to unreasonably high standards, and we expect our advertisers to match those standards in the creativity and integrity of their content. Below are the principles we operate by, and which guide the policies set forth in this document. If you follow these principles then you will be a wonderful advertiser on Tumblr.
Safety and trust: We care about our users, and you should too. Never promote any unsafe products, services, messages, or activities. And don’t do things that everyone knows are bad, like distributing or promoting spam, harmful code, malware, or phishing schemes. You’ve obviously not going to do those things, and if the thought even occurred to you then you can take your scurrilous machinations elsewhere.
Integrity and honesty: All advertising should display the highest standard of integrity and transparency. You should be honest to a fault.
Creativity: Be creative. Tumblr users appreciate that. When you tell your brand’s story here, do so with only the highest editorial and creative standards. All will be well.
The Rules for Advertisers
General
Follow the spirit of our policies: We’ve written these policies to be clear and understandable. We’re not listing out every edge case, we’re not spelling out every little thing. Please don’t sneak in ads that violate the spirit, if not the letter, of this document.
Follow our Community Guidelines: You’re not just an advertiser, you’re a member of the community. So, like all content on Tumblr, your ads must comply with our Community Guidelines.
Follow the law: Always, always, always make sure your advertising practices comply with all laws that are applicable to you and your activities in all relevant jurisdictions. Violating our policies makes you a jerk. Violating the law makes you a criminal.
Follow your common sense: We reserve the right to reject any ad that we deem inappropriate for a general audience. There are kids here, ya know.
Let’s move on from the principles behind these policies to the policies themselves. Below are detailed explanations of what we do and don’t allow with regards to advertising on Tumblr.
Note that, due to the dynamic nature of native advertising, certain elements of the ad may not always appear (including but not limited to, the image or the description). Ad text may be shortened based on the space available, the device it’s being viewed on, the context in which it appears, or other requirements. Advertisers are responsible for confirming that any required text is present on the ad’s landing page or creative as applicable.
Language
Ads, including landing pages, must be written in a language that the majority of their geographically targeted audience will understand.
– Ad content using Simplified Chinese text is not allowed.
Pricing and Price Claims
An offer made in an ad or on a landing page must be genuine, accurate, clear to users, without material omission and cannot misrepresent the reality of the offer. Bait advertising is not allowed. All price claims made in an ad must be clearly and accurately substantiated on the landing page. Ads/landing pages must only state that a product or service is “free”, “complimentary” or similar when the the user will not incur any incidental cost in redeeming the offer for such product or service. A product or service may not be advertised as “free” or “complimentary” if this statement is contradicted in fine print elsewhere in the ad/landing page. Ads or landing pages that contain “free”, “complimentary” or synonymous offers must clearly and conspicuously disclose on the ads and landing pages the pertinent terms and conditions of the offer to users before they make their purchase.
Mainly, just don’t lie. Should be easy. You’re in advertising, after all.
Any offer made in an ad, or on a landing page, must be genuine, accurate, and clear to our users. No material omission, no misrepresenting the reality of the offer. No bait advertising. No being a sneak.
“Free” offers that include the following must be obviously disclosed to the user before a purchase:
– Recurring charges (subscriptions, contracts, negative option pricing, or other continuing costs) or
– Additional costs to receive the promoted product or service (fees, bundled products, deposit requirements or other one-time charges)
Note that a subscription requirement must always be disclosed on the ad unit within the ad text. Placing notification on the landing page alone is not sufficient
For countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa:
– Prices stated in ads must be tax inclusive. Using text “£4 plus tax” is not compliant. The stated numeric cost must include calculated tax.
– An ad which states a price should include the following key disclosures on the landing page: (i) the main characteristics of the product, (ii) the identity of the advertiser, (iii) the geographical location of the advertiser, (iv) any additional freight, delivery or postal charges, any unusual arrangements as to payment, delivery, performance of the contract or complaint handling, details of any right of withdrawal, or cancellation when possible.
Currency
For countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa: ads must show prices in local currency.
UK and DE: ads can include prices in foreign currencies if
– the price is not misleading;
– payment can be made in the stated currency;
– no dual price indications (e.g., British pounds (£) in addition to a foreign currency) are used if the trader only accepts £ and the £ price is higher.
Browser Interference
Landing pages or ads cannot spawn popups. Those are the absolute worst. The browser’s back button and close button must work from the landing page without any interference. C’mon. These are your customers. Be nice to them.
Ad content cannot contain the following:
Your ads, no matter what you’re promoting, cannot constitute or contain themes relating to: Explicit Sexuality Violence, death, or shock Illegal drugs Encouragement of cigarettes or tobacco use Copyright or trademark infringement Fraudulent, deceptive, expired, or misleading claims Hate and harassment Poor image quality or user experience Tumblr affiliation or approval
Explicit Sexuality
The policy:
We take an open-minded approach to the use of sexual content in advertising. Tumblr allows ads that contain a sexual theme to a certain extent, but we evaluate ads on a case by case basis.
Note that the following countries have specific rules & regulations regarding sexual content:
Here’s what we’re pretty much fine with:
– Sex education (other than MENA)
– News & current events related to sex and sexuality
– Medical drawings and models
Dating services
Violence, death, and shock
The policy:
The promotion of material that shocks, disgusts, or terrifies will not be approved. We don’t allow explicit depiction of self-harm, murder or death. Gratuitous gore, violence against animals, and images that are gratuitously or egregiously startling will be rejected.
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
– Profanity (like, “fuck yeah” would be fine)
– Medical procedures detailed for educational purposes
– News and current events related to violence
– Documentation of or education around violent events
Illegal drugs
The policy:
As much as we love dank memes, Tumblr prohibits the portrayal or promotion of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia in creative content. This applies to references both explicit and implied. For example, creative that implies that a person is under the influence of an illegal drug, even if it’s hella funny, is not allowed.
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
Pharmaceuticals
– News and current events related to drugs and drug paraphernalia
– Drug rehabilitation programs
– Drug education and documentary
Encouragement of cigarettes or tobacco use
The policy:
Hey, Don Draper. It’s 2021 (or at least it was, at the time we published this). Tumblr does not allow the promotion of cigarette, cigar, or tobacco products and/or smoking in our advertising.
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
– Characters or actors smoking
– Content related to smoking cessation
– News and current events related to smoking
Copyright or trademark infringement
The policy:
Don’t put material that you don’t have the rights to in your advertisements. You are responsible for any and all content you promote on Tumblr. If your creative contains third-party material, you must have all the appropriate rights and licenses for including it in your advertisement. And for god’s sake, don’t promote anything that involves or encourages copyright or trademark infringement.
Tumblr responds expeditiously to any and all notices of copyright infringement. For details, please see our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. Reports can be made using our DMCA form.
Fraudulent, deceptive, expired, or misleading claims
The policy:
Don’t try to fool our community. Don’t try to fool anyone else, for that matter. Any ad with an inaccurate or misleading claim will be rejected.
– Don’t be scammy.
– Don’t mimic Tumblr native actions (liking, reblogging, etc.) in your ad, or create false buttons/boxes to lure clicks.
– Don’t submit ads that claim curative properties, suggest permanent results, or the equivalence of surgical or prescription products.
Hate and harassment
The policy:
Don’t post content that shows hatred toward, or otherwise may offend, insult, or harass a person or group of people. In particular, we won’t approve any advertisements that display negativity around issues of race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected class. Our users, as decent human beings, don’t like that kind of thing.
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
– Anti-hate campaigns
– Content focused on news and current events
– Educational and documentary content
Poor image quality and user experience
The policy:
– Images (animated or still) and videos must be high quality, and should never be blurry, illegible, unclear, or pixelated (unless you’re going for, like, an 8-bit aesthetic or some other kind of artfully low-res look, in which case, okay, fine). If your creative doesn’t meet these standards, we’ll ask you to submit new creative.
– Animated images and videos should not flash rapidly, create hypnotic sensations, or otherwise contain motion that puts sensitive users (such as those with epilepsy) at risk.
Tumblr affiliation or approval
Ads should not state or imply affiliation with, or approval by, Tumblr without express written permission. Don’t worry, we still like you.
Ad content cannot promote the following:
Tumblr explicitly disallows the advertising of certain categories of products and services. Some are disallowed based on the principles enumerated above, and some are disallowed in jurisdictions (as noted below) where such advertisements are unlawful. These categories include, but are not limited to:
Astrology and horoscopes
Counterfeit products or copyright infringement
Certain dietary supplements
Compensation for native engagements
Degrees and essays
Illegal or recreational drugs and drug paraphernalia
Illegal products and services
Beauty and personal care products
Products derived from endangered species
Tobacco and tobacco accessories
Sexual products and services
Unverified business practices
Unauthorized ticket sales
Weapons and weapon accessories
Products and services where trade restrictions apply
Astrology and horoscopes
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow ads for psychics, astrology, or horoscope services in the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen
Counterfeit products or copyright infringement
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow ads for products, businesses, or websites that are either (i) principally engaged in selling counterfeit goods or (ii) engaged in copyright infringement with no substantial non-infringing uses. This includes:
– Fake, bootleg, or counterfeit products, including close but not identical copies that are implied to be the real version
– Replicas or imitations of designer products
– Websites for infringing materials
Certain supplements
The policy:
Tumblr prohibits the advertisement of any products, elements, or ingredients that are illegal, or prohibited by applicable law, or as designated by Tumblr at any time in its sole discretion.
Compensation for native engagements
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow the advertisement of any services that explicitly provide compensation for making or using Tumblr native engagements, including but not limited to:
– Liking or reblogging posts
– Following users
– Clicking on ads
– Performing searches
– Opening emails
Degrees and essays
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow advertisements for illegal degrees or student services. These include but are not limited to:
– Degrees or transcripts for sale, or offered by non-accredited universities or programs
– Academic paper-writing services, or the sale of pre-written essays, theses and dissertations
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
– Ads for accredited universities and college programs
– Ads for online educational services or programs (e.g., test prep services)
Illegal or recreational drugs and drug paraphernalia
The policy:
Tumblr prohibits advertisements for illegal or recreational drugs, even the fun ones, or anything specifically marketed to aid in the administration or use of such drugs.
These include:
– Products used to bypass drug tests
– Pipes, rolling papers, bongs, vaporizers, other smoking vessels (except as otherwise authorized by this policy)
– Substances marketed as “legal highs,” such as the salvia plant, and other stupid and dangerous things
– Services enabling access to drugs
The policy doesn’t include:
– E-cigarettes, provided the advertising is legal in the target market
– Drugs which may be legal or decriminalized in some regions, like marijuana, as long as the ad is properly geotargeted
Illegal products or services
The policy:
Pretty simple-if something is illegal, don’t advertise it on Tumblr. We prohibit the advertising or promotion of illegal products and services. All of your ads, and the products and services being advertised in those ads, must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
– Pig, pork products and its derivatives
– Ads using national symbols, anthems or flags
– Ads using national symbols, anthems or flags
– Employment agencies advertising overseas jobs to the Philippines, unless they hold a license with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
Products derived from endangered species
The policy:
What the fuck, even. Endangered animals have a tough enough time as it is. Tumblr expressly prohibits advertising for any product or service derived from or exploiting any species classified as endangered by the World Wildlife Federation (WWF).
Personal Care and Beauty Products
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow ads for personal care or beauty products that create an unrealistic expectation about the success of the product or service, claim curative properties, suggest permanent results, or imply the equivalence of surgical or prescription products.
Tobacco and tobacco accessories
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow ads for the promotion of:
– Cigarettes
– Cigars
– Smokeless tobacco
– Rolling papers
– Other tobacco products, paraphernalia, or companies
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
– Ads that promote smoking cessation programs
Sexual products and services
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow ads for sexual products or services. This includes but is not limited to:
– Sexually explicit books, films, magazines, or websites
– Sex toys
– Libido increasers
– Prostitution or escort services
– Adult entertainment establishments or in-home exotic dancers
– Intimate and erotic massage services
– International marriage brokerage services (e.g., mail order bride services)
Unverified business practices
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow advertising for services offering unverified, overinflated, exploitative, or questionable financial gains; business models that do not clearly explain their value proposition; or potentially exploitative services focused on paying one’s bills (like payday loans). If we feel unclear about the offering or product, we may reject your ad on this basis.
What the policy applies to:
– penny auctions
– payday loans
– pyramid schemes
– get-rich-quick offers
– “work at home” job offers
– other moneymaking opportunities or offers
Unauthorized ticket sales
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow the promotion of unauthorized ticket sales. This applies to the sale of counterfeit tickets and the resale of tickets without prior authorization from appropriate parties. In other words, if you don’t have a way of verifying the authenticity of your tickets, we won’t be able to accept your ads.
Weapons & weapon accessories
The policy:
Tumblr prohibits advertisements for all weapons, whether or not they are legal in your jurisdiction. ✌ ☮
What the policy applies to:
– All firearms and other types of guns (e.g., pellet guns, paintball guns, blowguns, BB guns, rifles, shotguns)
– Gun parts and accessories (e.g., bullets, mounts, magazines)
– Firearm silencers and handgun safety certificates
Products and services where trade restrictions apply
The policy:
Tumblr does not allow the promotion of goods and services where trade embargoes exist, such as those against Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Sudan.
Tumblr restricts, but doesn’t prohibit, promotion of products or services in the following categories:
Keep in mind that “restrictions” here can be based both on the product or service, or on how we allow you to target the particular advertisement (for example, only to particular jurisdictions or only to particular segments of individuals). Some of these restrictions have to do with legal requirements in various jurisdictions, as noted in the accompanying explanation.
Alcohol
Cannabis
Dating Sites
Gambling
Pharmaceutical and other health-related products and services
Financial services
Political campaigns
Alcohol
The policy
Tumblr allows the appropriately age-targeted promotion and sale of alcoholic brands and beverages approved in advance by Tumblr -including but not limited to beer, wine, and spirits- through direct-sold advertising on its site. “Appropriately” means ads are age-targeted according to legal drinking age in the targeted jurisdictions. Providing alcoholic beverages as a prize or giveaway is prohibited.
Regardless of age or region targeting, alcohol ads must not be designed, or appear to be designed, to appeal to under-age purchasers. Alcohol ads must include all legally required notices.
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
– Alcohol accessories like bottle openers and cocktail glasses
– Events sponsored by alcohol companies that do not focus on alcoholic beverages
Ads relating to alcohol should not:
– Be unclear that the ad is for an alcoholic beverage
– Encourage underage drinking or otherwise be aimed, directly or indirectly, to those under legal drinking age in the targeted jurisdiction(s) (for example, by using characters that kids would relate to or by using children as models)
– Encourage unsafe drinking, which includes, but is not limited to, competition/binge drinking, or, say, featuring someone drinking alcohol while rollerblading and juggling chainsaws; that would be totally messed up!
– Imply that alcohol has therapeutic or health benefits, or that drinking alcohol can improve social, sexual, professional, intellectual, or athletic standing
– Compare alcoholic drinks to non-alcoholic drinks (like sodas)
– Positively associate drinking alcohol with dangerous activities (like using drugs) or those that require care or skill that alcohol would impair (like driving a car)
– Show people under the influence of alcohol
– Mention the alcohol content of a product
Ads relating to alcohol should:
– Be age-gated according to legislation in the jurisdiction(s) targeted for advertising. Any site the ad leads to must also be appropriately age-gated for all markets you are targeting with your campaign on Tumblr.
– Comply with any applicable self-regulatory guidelines, in addition to laws and regulations in target areas.
TL;DR: don’t be a ghoul, do advertise to those who can actually legally buy your product, and leave the underage humans out of it until they’re all grown up.
Alcohol advertisements are entirely prohibited from targeting the following countries: Russia, Norway, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Oman, The Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and any other market where the advertising of alcohol is not allowed.
Cannabis
The policy:
Tumblr restricts the promotion and sale of cannabis and cannabis-adjacent products and brands through advertising on its site, with the exception of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado. “Cannabis-adjacent products” include, but are not limited to, water pipes, rolling papers, and Weedmaps. They do not include hemp-derived CBD products, which are covered separately at the bottom of this section.
Any advertising related to the sale of cannabis or general promotion of cannabis brands must be (i) approved in advance by Tumblr, (ii) sold through our direct-sales team (i.e. not programmatic), and (iii) geo-targeted exclusively to people of legal consumption age in the above states (that’s 21+ in each case). Regardless of age-targeting, cannabis ads must not be designed, or appear to be designed, to appeal to under-age purchasers. Ads for cannabis must include all legally required notices.
Cannabis advertisements are entirely prohibited from running in any other location in the world right now. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Not to be…blunt, but while we don’t make the rules, we sure do follow them, and we’d really appreciate you doing the same. So do be making sure you read through the following policies:
Things that are always no-goes: / Never allowed:
– Giveaways, for example, as prizes, of cannabis or cannabis accessories
– Cigarettes and other tobacco-related products and brands-these are prohibited from advertising on Tumblr
– Ads for or relating to products containing Delta-8 or Delta-10
Ads relating to cannabis must not:
– Be misleading or untrue, and will be given a common-sense sanity check before going live
– Encourage underage consumption of cannabis or otherwise be aimed, directly or indirectly, to those under the legal age of consumption – for example, by using characters that kids would relate to or by using children as models. Duh.
– Encourage unsafe or irresponsible use of cannabis (for example, by featuring a someone driving under the influence, which would be totally messed up)
– Imply that consuming cannabis has therapeutic or health benefits
– Positively associate use of cannabis with dangerous or irresponsible activities or those that require care or skill the influence of cannabis would impair (like driving a car)
– Show people consuming, smoking, or under the influence of cannabis
– Give the impression that the product is an alcoholic beverage
– Encourage the use of cannabis for its intoxicating effects
Ads relating to cannabis must:
– Be clear that the ad is for cannabis or cannabis-adjacent products
– Display the license number of the business. We’ll also need advertisers to verify an active license because suspended or inactive cannabis sellers are legally prohibited from advertising. (If you’re advertising ancillary products that don’t require a license, then this bit is not relevant to you, and you can skip ahead if you like)
– Come with disclaimers: Only intended for consumers in CO, CA, MA, AZ, OR, or IL; not intended for minors. The advertiser is wholly responsible for accuracy and compliance with the law.
– For ads in Oregon, include language materially similar to the following: “Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug; for use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older; keep out reach of children”
Hemp-derived CBD: Hemp-derived CBD products are not subject to the above cannabis advertising requirements. Instead, the following items apply to campaigns for hemp-derived CBD products:
– Ads cannot make medical, health, or therapeutic claims
– The product being advertised must be non-ingestible, and from legally-derived CBD
– Show people consuming or smoking CBD products
– Ads must be targeted only to states where CBD products are legal
– Landing pages cannot sell or advertise other products or services prohibited by other Tumblr policies
Pharmaceutical or other health-related products and services
The policy:
In general, advertisements for pharmaceutical and other health-related products and services should be scrupulously honest and direct, not make inaccurate or exaggerated claims, and not promote the product or service for a different use than it is intended or approved for by appropriate regulatory bodies. This is people’s health we’re talking about, after all. Additionally, specific products and services have different restrictions based both on geolocation of the ads, as well as the product or service being advertised for. These restrictions are laid out in more detail below.
What the policy applies to:
– Pharmaceutical and medical products, including but not limited to prescription and non-prescription drugs, pharmaceutical companies, medical devices, and clinical trials
– Health and dietary supplements, and nutrition products
– Health claims, particularly those about the treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of diseases and conditions
– Pharmacies of all kinds (online, brick and mortar, pet, custom prescription, etc), particularly those promoting prescriptions
– Medical and cosmetic services
– Condoms and sexual health products
What the policy doesn’t apply to:
– Glasses and sunglasses, including those with prescription lenses
– General medical and dental practices, including hospitals and clinics
– Anti-drug or rehabilitative groups or campaigns
Ads relating to condoms and sexual health products must adhere to the following guidelines and will be subject to the following restrictions:
No nudity or depiction of sexual activity: Please make sure your ad complies with Tumblr’s community guidelines. And, while we’re on the subject, your campaign must adhere to our general Terms of Service, too.
Age Targeting: Ads must be targeted to adults (18 and over) and we reserve the right to add an age-gate to your brand blog if we deem the content too close to promoting sexual activity/sexually explicit material. Which, ya know, we wouldn’t encourage y’all to do anyway. Again, there are kids here.
Hub/context targeting: These ads must be targeted to relevant adult user communities to ensure they only reach adults who are already viewing related topics and avoid communities of younger users.
Ad creation: If you want our awesome Tumblr Creatrs to create content for your campaign, our legal team will review it to ensure no false or misleading claims are being made or visually implied.
Note also that ads for condoms are only permitted in the following countries:
– United States, Australia, France, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK, New Zealand, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Canada
In addition, (1) all advertisements in this category are only open to approved advertisers working through a Tumblr brand strategist and (2) all advertisements targeted to specific jurisdictions must comply with local legal requirements, some of which are discussed below.
Over-the-counter medication advertisements can only target the following countries:
– Africa and Middle East: Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
– Asia Pacific: India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines
– Europe: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom
The following countries have additional specific restrictions on advertising of pharmaceutical or other health-related products and services:
– All advertisements must comply with the Undesirable Medical Advertisements Ordinance (Cap. 231)
– Healthcare professionals, including institutions, who advertise or are promoted must be registered with the Department of Health of the Hong Kong Government
– Advertisements promoting any procedure that modifies someone’s appearance are prohibited
– The online sale of over-the-counter drugs is prohibited
– Healthcare products and supplements are permitted subject to restrictions
– Pharmaceutical manufacturers may promote informational sites and public service announcements subject to restrictions
– Promoting the sale of contact lenses is permitted
– OTC drugs and non-prescription drugs are permitted but advertisements must be approved by the Medicine Advertisements Board
– Advertisements by healthcare practitioners are restricted to the name, field of practice, and place of practice of the practitioner. Testimonials are prohibited
– Advertisements by private healthcare facilities are restricted to general information such as name, location, contact information, hours, type of facility and prices imposed. Testimonials are prohibited
– Slimming products, whether used orally or through physical application are prohibited
– OTC drugs are allowed with restrictions
– Healthcare products and cosmetic products are allowed with restrictions
– Only licensed medical practitioners may advertise medical services. Advertisements by medical practitioners are restricted to the name, address, office hours and licensed area of practice of the practitioner
– OTC drugs are allowed with restrictions. Advertisements must be approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and display the acceptance decision number of the SFDA
– Cosmetic products are allowed with restrictions
– Cosmetic products are allowed with restrictions.
– Only licensed hospitals, medical clinics, clinical laboratories and healthcare institutions that are listed in the HCI Directory may advertise medical services.
– Promoting medical and dental services is prohibited.
– Promoting sanitary aids and cosmetics is permitted with restrictions.
– Promoting products that treat the following diseases or ailments is prohibited: – Tuberculosis
– Serious sexually transmitted or infectious diseases
– Cancer and other tumour-related diseases
– Chronic insomnia
– Diabetes and other metabolic diseases
– Advertisements for brick and mortar pharmacies are permitted provided that they do not promote the online sale or refill of prescription drugs
– Advertisements for online pharmacies accredited by the National Association Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) are permitted with restrictions
– Advertisements from pharmaceutical manufacturers are permitted with restrictions based on United States law
Gambling
The policy:
Tumblr allows ads for online gambling establishments or land-based casinos on a restricted basis. The restrictions are based both on geolocation of the ads, as well as the product or service being advertised for. Additionally, Tumblr never counts its money while it’s sitting at the table. There’ll be time enough for counting when the deal is done.
This policy applies, but is not limited, to:
– Online fantasy sports sites
– Sports betting
– Bingo
– Scratch games
– Lotteries
– Games of skill involving exchange of anything of value
– Sites providing tips, odds, handicapping, forecasts, or odds calculators
Advertisements for licensed land casinos are permitted globally except when targeting the countries below:
– Africa and Middle East: Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE
– Asia Pacific: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Advertisements for lotteries are permitted globally except when targeting the countries within their permitted area and licensed to operate below:
– Africa and Middle East: Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
– Asia Pacific: China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia
– Europe: Austria, Turkey
– Latin America: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
– North America: United States
Advertisements for gambling-related businesses are also restricted by the law of the relevant locally targeted jurisdiction-i.e., the ads have to be allowed by local law and must also comply with all local legal requirements. Please check with your brand strategist if you have questions or concerns.
Dating sites
The policy:
Ads for dating sites are allowed on tumblr, provided that the ads do not:
– Promote escort services
– Promote casual sex, affairs, or hook ups either implicitly or explicitly
– Contain sexually suggestive language or images or otherwise provocative images or text
– Link to sexually suggestive landing pages
– Suggest or imply the presence of underage members
– Suggest that a user may be, will be, is, or has been searched for, emailed, IM’d, or interacted with in any way (you know, like those terrible, tricky “Messaging waiting! (1)” buttons we’re all too embarrassed to admit we fell for, or similar text or images)
– Promote “mail-order bride” services or any type of international matchmaking
Ads for dating sites may not be targeted to users in the following countries, no matter the content: Bahrain, Egypt, Japan*, Jordan, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia. However, ads for services related to weddings may be accepted. As with political campaigns, these will be approved on a case by case basis.
*Japan also prohibits the promotion of marriage consulting services
Financial services
The policy:
Tumblr restricts the promotion of financial services. The restrictions are based both on geolocation of the ads, as well as the product or service being advertised for. To the extent we accept a financial services advertisement; the ad content itself must not contain specific financial information such as interest rates or exchange rates.
Note that this policy doesn’t apply to news or information about financial services.
Financial service covered by this policy may include, but are not limited to:
– Banking Institutions and banking services
– Loan products and services
– Mortgages and mortgage services
– Insurance products
– Securities
– Currency exchange, trading, and related services
– Home reversion (reverse mortgages)
– Equity release
– Home purchase plans
– Credit cards
– Banks
– Cryptocurreny and adjacent services
Note also that Tumblr does not accept ads for:
– Payday loans
– Cash advances
– Debt management or relief
– Credit repair
Advertisements for financial services and related content are permitted only when targeting the countries below:
– Africa and Middle East: Egypt, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE
– Asia Pacific: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Maylaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand
– Europe: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom
– Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
– North America: Canada, United States
The following additional requirements apply to financial services advertisements targeting certain countries:
– Advertising for the following is prohibited: – Money services businesses or anything that may lead to a similar transaction
– Securities and investment schemes
– Any form of financial speculation intended to promote or attract interest in stocks and shares
– Financial services advertisers must be authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority, and claims management businesses must be authorized by the Ministry of Justice.
– Ads that promote credit cards must include the following information on the landing page in a clear and obvious way with a prominent clear label “Representative APR”: – The rate of interest
– Any fees or charges relating to the credit
– The credit limit
– The cash price and the amount of any advance payment
– The name and postal address for the advertiser
Cryptocurrency Policy
Subject to advance approval by Tumblr, ads for cryptocurrency exchanges and cryptocurrency wallets may be permitted to run on Tumblr.
As part of our approval process, you may be required to submit certain company, registration, and licensing information about your business. If approved, ads must comply with all relevant legal requirements, including any local legal requirements, and ensure all ads and landing pages comply with Tumblr’s ad policies. And no, you may not pay for your campaign with Dogecoin.
But hodl on a second …
Are there any crypto categories for which you don’t accept ads? Yes. At this time, other crypto-related products and services, including but not limited to initial coin offerings (ICOs), contracts for difference (CFDs), and binary options are prohibited.
Ads promoting adjacent products, such as blockchain technology, or cryptocurrency industry news, events, and merchandise, may advertise as long as the ad otherwise adheres to our ad policies.
Political campaigns
All political advertisements must follow our community guidelines (especially those around election integrity), and be approved in advance by Tumblr.
The following is illustrative (but not exhaustive) of what Tumblr considers to be political advertising:
– Ads related to campaigns or elections
– Ads promoting voting or voter registration (discouraging voting or voter registration is not allowed, because you know, freedom and stuff)
– Ads promoting political merchandise (for example, a cool pair of capri pants featuring a public office holder or candidate, or a bumper sticker with a zippy political slogan)
– Ads soliciting political donations
– Ads placed by political organizations, or issue or advocacy ads relating to topics of potential legislative or political importance
Political ads must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including those promulgated by the Federal Elections Commission, and must include clear “paid for by” disclosures within the ad. Political advertisers may also be asked to present additional information to verify their identity and/or authorization to place such advertisements.
Information regarding political ad campaigns and their purchasing individuals or entities may be disclosed by Tumblr for transparency purposes. Tumblr only accepts political advertisements within the United States.
Self-Service Advertising
From time-to-time, Tumblr may offer the ability to advertise on Tumblr on a self-serve basis. Any ads prohibited by this policy, or which have criteria-based restrictions (for example, age, geo, or content restrictions) are prohibited for any self-service advertising offering. Tumblr may review each ad in advance, and reserves the right to reject any ad for any reason.
Once your ad has been approved, you may not make modifications. Tumblr reserves the right to pause or remove any ads it determines, at its sole discretion, are in violation of this policy, potentially harmful to Tumblr’s business or users, or for any other reason.
