Meta Introduces an Ad Targeting Limit for Teenagers

Meta wants to keep its young audiences safe when using its apps online. That's why the tech giant has stepped up its data privacy process for teens. There is an expansion to the current policy in place that will now include new restrictions and control options for teens to opt out of certain ad themes. This is just one expansion of its policy implemented for young viewers. It results in the removal of interests and activities that are relevant to the parameters for such viewers. But it is also getting rid of gendered ads designed to reach a wider audience of young people.

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Why did the Meta suddenly wake up?

This will work to further restrict advertiser capacity. So ads will no longer be based on specific targeting formats. Meta is also working to eliminate in-app engagement that requires keeping up with specific profiles seen on an Instagram or Facebook page. This is a measure designed to make younger users aware of the ads seen.

Meta similarly released a statement on the news saying it hopes to restrict advertisers trying to make the most of specific user targets. From now on, advertisers would only receive data about a teenager, such as their age and location. This is also because it wants to control the ads promoted to users based on their age and where they might live.

Now the question is: Why did the meta suddenly wake up? There are several reasons. For starters, the tech giant thinks that younger audiences are not as equipped as the older audience to make choices about online data used for purposes like advertising, especially when it comes to showcasing products purchased online.

Targeting users based on their gender can to some extent be reinforced as cultural bias. Meanwhile, ads targeting specific individuals through likes on in-app transactions can be false marketing for younger audiences. Let's not forget that the tech giant already has age restrictions. This already puts a limit on the types of ads shown to young people. But the firm thinks it's time to push its policy further with new and more foolproof measures. We can think of it as an extra step to reduce the visibility of promotional content in the likes of various apps like Facebook and Instagram.