Facebook to remove Detailed Targeting options related to sensitive topics

Starting January 19, 2022 Facebook will remove Detailed Targeting options that relate to topics people may perceive as sensitive, such as options referencing causes, organizations, or public figures that relate to health, race or ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, or sexual orientation. Examples include:

• Health causes (e.g., “Lung cancer awareness”, “World Diabetes Day”, “Chemotherapy”)
• Sexual orientation (e.g., “same-sex marriage” and “LGBT culture”)
• Religious practices and groups (e.g., “Catholic Church” and “Jewish holidays”)
• Political beliefs, social issues, causes, organizations, and figures

Facebook in its Bolgpost mentioned, "The decision to remove these Detailed Targeting options was not easy and we know this change may negatively impact some businesses and organizations. Some of our advertising partners have expressed concerns about these targeting options going away because of their ability to help generate positive societal change, while others understand the decision to remove them. Like many of our decisions, this was not a simple choice and required a balance of competing interests where there was advocacy in both directions. We feel confident that we can evolve our ads system to meet the needs of everyone we serve, while working diligently to continue supporting one of the best things about our platforms -- helping people connect with and discover the businesses and organizations they care about."

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Even after the social media giant has updated their targeting options, people may still see ad content they aren’t interested in, which is why FB is also working to expand the control that allows people to choose to see fewer ads about certain types of content.

People can opt to see fewer ads related to politics, parenting, alcohol, and pets. Early next year, the app will be giving people control of more types of ad content, including gambling and weight loss, among others.

"Just as we have for the past several years, we will continue to evaluate and evolve our ad system. At the same time, we will make sure to provide our partners with the tools they need to reach their customers and increase their performance on our platform," the blogpost further mentioned.