Meta, now a subsidiary of Facebook and Instagram, has said it makes it impossible to display ads based on sensitive information such as race or ethnicity, religious views, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and more. According to research, some advertisements can reinforce addiction, negatively affect people’s behavior, and even cause psychological distress.
Meta is now planning to remove many of its sensitive ad categories. It should be noted that the company has already been forced to remove a number of controversial categories for its advertising after a lot of margins. For example, in the past, advertisers could display their ads to people with anti-Semitic views and those interested in pseudo-science.
Also, after the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018, Facebook prevented various companies from accessing users’ sensitive information, and by analyzing this data, these companies conducted very effective advertising campaigns. Although Meta officials say they are doing this to improve users’ mental health, the truth is that the company has come under widespread pressure in recent months.
For example, the European Union announced some time ago that it intends to enact regulations banning targeted advertising. Given that the global meta-advertising system can not impose restrictions only on certain regions, it has no choice but to repeal these controversial laws for all countries.
The company generated $ 28.2 billion in advertising revenue in the third quarter of 2021, according to the Meta Financial Report. Therefore, imposing restrictions on this area is not an easy task for the company. According to Meta, the new rules will take effect on January 19, 2022 (December 29, 1400) for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. However, meta can still display targeted ads based on user’s age, gender, and status, and only in the meantime will it be impossible to display ads based on very specific categories.
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