In the wake of the Cambridge Analytics scandal, Meta has implemented one Range of data protection systems To ensure that it restricts users’ access to personal data and insights, at the same time, it works to provide greater clarity about how different groups are using its systems to target their messaging.
This conflicting approach requires a delicate balance, which the meta has been able to maintain through Ad LibraryWhich enables you to see any ads managed by any Facebook page in the recent past.
Now, looking for meta Add that insightAdding new information to the ad library about how pages are used Social issues, electoral or political advertising in their process.
As you can see here, the updated ad library overview will include more specific information about how each advertiser is using these more sensitive targeting options, which may help researchers identify abuse or report concerns.
Explained by Meta:
“Later this month, detailed targeting information for social issues, election or political advertising will be made available to tested academic researchers. Facebook Open Research and Transparency (FORT) Environment […] July is coming, our publicly available Ad Library The launch will also include a summary of information targeted for social issues, election or political advertising. This update will include one-page running social issues using each type of targeting (such as location, population, and interest), the total number of electoral and political ads, and the percentage of social issues, data used to target election and political advertising spending. Options. “
This is a significant update to the meta-ad transparency effort, which will help researchers better understand the key trends in ad usage and how they relate to messaging resonance and response.
Meta has been under investigation in the past, and independent investigations have shown that housing advertising, for example, Their advertising targets illegally use race-based exclusions. This changes the rules of how meta can be excluded, and this new expansion could eventually lead to a similar trend, making it easier to identify discriminatory advertising targets, including direct examples from the meta system.
For regular advertisers, it can also give you some extra insight into your competitors’ strategies. You can find more detailed information about how other brands are showing respect to a specific audience, which may not be discriminatory, but may highlight new angles for your own marketing efforts.
This is a good transparency update, which should reap significant benefits for researchers trying to better understand how Meta’s complex ad targeting system is being used in a variety of ways.
