SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 10 — Facebook Inc said yesterday it plans to remove detailed ad-targeting options that refer to “sensitive” topics, such as ads based on interactions with content around race, health, religious practices, political beliefs or sexual orientation.
The company has been hit with criticisms around its micro-targeting capabilities, including over abuses such as advertisers discriminating against or targeting vulnerable groups. In 2019, it agreed to make changes to its ads platform as part of a settlement over housing discrimination issues. “The decision to remove these Detailed Targeting options was not easy and we know this change may negatively impact some businesses and organisations,” Mudd said in the post, adding some advertising partners were concerned they would not be able to use these adds to generate positive social change.