Following a scathing report by ProPublica last week, Facebook has temporarily removed its self-reported targeting fields from its ads manager, to address the problem of anti-Semitic targeting categories.
Not long after Facebook acknowledged that Russia bought over $100,000-worth of political advertising on Facebook in the run up to the 2016 U.S. Elections, ProPublica published a report showing that advertisers were able to to target users with anti-Semitic categories. The report, published by Julia Angwin, Madeleine Varner and Ariana Tobin, shows that advertisers were able to target a small group of users with topics like “Jew hater,” “Hot to burn Jews,” and others.
During its investigation, ProPublica’s team was able to buy three ads targeting around 2,300 users who showed interest in those categories, and Facebook responded swiftly by temporarily deactivating its self-reported targeting fields until it could find a solution to the problem. The action was also announced by Facebook, in a Newsroom post late last week, noting that “hate speech and discriminatory advertising have no place on [the] platform.” The company also pointed out that the “offensive education and employer fields” were removed immediately.
Facebook also explained that the number of people who could be targeted this way was “incredibly low,” and
[quote]an extremely small number of people were targeted in these campaigns.[/quote]
Finally, it reiterated its commitment to keeping its community safe from discriminatory practices, “removing these self-reported targeting fields” until it has “the right processes in place to help prevent this issue.” For the time being, advertisers can report any inappropriate targeting fields from within the ads interface or via the Help Center.
You might also like
More from Facebook
Facebook Revamps Access Your Information On iOS And Android
Facebook has announced a revamped version of its Access Your Information tool, making it easier for users to find and …
Facebook Bans Ads Promoting Weapon Accessories Ahead Of Inauguration Day
Facebook has announced a ban, on its platforms, of ads promoting weapon accessories and protective equipment - at least through …
Facebook Bans Donald Trump Indefinitely From Its Platforms
Following the recent events in Washington DC, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced an indefinite ban on Donald Trump from …
New Facebook Pages Come Without A Like Button
Facebook is rolling out a new design for Facebook Pages. It comes with new features, but without a Like button.
New Year’s Eve 2020 Sets New Records For Use Of Facebook Apps
Facebook was expecting a traffic spike on its apps over New Year's Eve, but this year broke all previous records …
3 Courses To Help You Create Better Video Content For Your Ads
Here are three free Facebook Blueprint courses to help you take your content to the next level.
Facebook Attacks Apple With Full-Page Newspaper Ads
Facebook is running newspaper ads newspapers criticizing Apple for its policy giving iOS users the choice of whether they want …
New Facebook Collab App Lets You Create Music With Friends
Facebook Collab is a new experimental music-making app available in the US, that lets you create music with friends.
Facebook Expands Brand Collabs Manager To Public Groups
Facebook is rolling out it s Brand Collabs Manager to public groups this week, giving them a new opportunity for …