By Sam Boughedda
Investing.com — Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:FB), the parent company of Facebook, said Tuesday that it is removing detailed ad targeting options relating to topics people may perceive as sensitive.
Meta said the topics include referencing causes, organizations, or public figures related to health, race or ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, or sexual orientation.
"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," said Graham Mudd, VP Product Marketing, Ads.
"We feel confident that we can evolve our ads system to meet the needs of everyone we serve," he added.
In addition, Meta will be expanding ad controls to allow users to decide to see fewer ads about certain types of content. Starting early next year, users will have more control of the types of ads they see, with the option of seeing fewer ads related to topics such as gambling, weight loss, and more.
The company has been working on its image in recent weeks after a complete rebrand and name change following intense scrutiny stemming from whistleblower Frances Haugen's allegations that the social media giant puts profit before the safety of its users.
Meta shares have slipped 0.8% Tuesday.