SAN FRANCISCO – Facebook yesterday said it is working on a way to let advertisers avoid having marketing messages appear in feeds alongside content they do not want to be associated with.
A small group of advertisers will soon start testing new “topic exclusion controls” being honed by the leading social network, said the company in a post.
“These controls will help address concerns advertisers have of their ads appearing in the News Feed next to certain topics based on their brand suitability preferences.”
The internet giant gave the example of a children’s toy company being given the option of not having its ads appear alongside content that falls into the “crime and tragedy” category.
The move comes with the massive social network facing pressure from advertisers seeking to avoid toxic and abusive content on the platform.
“This product development, as well as testing and learning in News Feed, will take much of the year,” said Facebook.
“These are new controls, and it’s important we build them with safeguards to protect people’s privacy as we continue to move forward.”
Facebook makes most of its money from advertising, and has been grappling with curbing the spread of hate and misinformation on its site. – AFP, January 30, 2021
