Facebook Cracks Down on Ad Targeting

Facebook has officially eliminated several thousand targeting options for advertisements placed on the platform in an effort to reduce discrimination. This means that brands running campaigns on the platform will no longer be able to exclude or include individuals who have set their interests to include specific countries, ethnicities or religions. As a result, brands across all industries will need to evaluate and potentially adjust their strategy for advertising on the platform.

“We’re committed to protecting people from discriminatory advertising on our platforms. While these options have been used in legitimate ways to reach people interested in a certain product or service, we think minimizing the risk of abuse is more important. This includes limiting the ability for advertisers to exclude audiences that relate to attributes such as ethnicity or religion,” said Facebook in a recent blog post.

Facebook will also be requiring companies to complete a specialized certification process to ensure that they are educated on best practices and avoid discrimination.