Meta Platforms Inc. announced on Thursday that it will be implementing a new technology that allows advertisers to choose where their ads are displayed on Facebook and Instagram. The move comes after repeated requests from advertisers to separate their marketing from contentious posts on the platforms.
The new technology offers advertisers three risk levels to choose from for their ad placements. The most conservative option bans spots above or below postings with delicate content including images of weapons, sexual innuendo, and political arguments. Meta will also offer a report to Facebook advertisers via the advertising measurement company Zefr that details the particular material that appeared alongside their advertisements and how it was classified.
For years, advertisers have been asking for more control over where their ads appear online, arguing that major social media firms do not do enough to stop ads from appearing alongside hate speech, false news, and other unpleasant information. The issue came to a head in July 2020 when hundreds of firms joined a boycott of Facebook in the midst of anti-racism demonstrations in the United States.
As part of an agreement reached a few months later, Meta committed to developing tools to “better manage advertising adjacency.” Samantha Stetson, vice president of Client Council and Industry Trade Relations at Meta, said that the company will eventually implement more specific restrictions that would allow marketers to indicate their preferences with regard to certain social concerns.
Early tests of the new technology have been promising. Stetson said that individuals engaged in the testing were “pleased surprised” by the results, which revealed that early tests did not significantly alter performance or pricing for advertising put using more restricted settings. However, she warned that the price dynamic may alter given the auction-based nature of Meta’s advertisements system and the decrease in inventory brought on by any limits.
The new restrictions will be first made available in English- and Spanish-speaking areas, with plans to extend them to additional regions and the company’s Reels, Stories, and video ad formats later this year.
In conclusion, Meta Platforms Inc.’s new technology is a response to advertisers’ requests for more control over where their ads appear online. The new technology offers advertisers three risk levels to choose from and Meta will also offer a report to Facebook advertisers via the advertising measurement company Zefr that details the particular material that appeared alongside their advertisements and how it was classified. While early tests have been promising, there is the potential for the price dynamic to alter given the auction-based nature of Meta’s advertisements system and the decrease in inventory brought on by any limits.
