As Facebook continues its efforts to clean-up its platform, and lessen its capacity to be used in divisive and damaging ways, it has announced that around 5,000 of its advanced ad targeting options will be removed as it seeks to stamp out discriminatory ad targeting.

The move comes after a series of scandals for Facebook, and follows specific complaints about certain advertisers using the platform to discriminate against certain audience segments.

Digital Minute looks at what has changed, and what this could mean for social advertising strategy.

Video Transcript

Hello, I’m Ellie and on this episode of Digital Minute, we’re looking at why Facebook has scrapped around five thousand ad targeting options.

In another public effort to clean up its image following a series of scandals, Facebook announced last week that it would be removing around five thousand of its advanced options.

The changes focus mainly on demographic targeting options that Facebook claimed could be used to by advertisers to discriminate against certain groups. It comes after a 2016 investigation revealed that Facebook’s targeting options could allow advertisers to discriminate based on their ethnic background.

Whilst Facebook has yet to confirm the types of targeting that are being removed, but it is believed to focus on options that could allow advertisers to target or exclude audiences based on certain interests or connections to groups based on religion, ethnicity or sexuality.

The measures will also see Facebook introduce an Advertiser Certification Policy, as it looks to clean up its advertising service and make it more appealing to both brands and users. If you want to know more, don’t forget to download our free Social Media Advertising Guide.

Thanks for watching, I'm Ellie Wray, and that was your Digital Minute.

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