Meta’s definitely shifting it into higher gear with its attempt to recapture younger audiences. Marking its latest effort is a recent heightening of its privacy processes for young users, where Meta introduces new restrictions on how teens can be targeted by ads in its apps. There are also new control options that will allow teens to opt out of ad topics. Ah, now this does sound promising.
Teen-y, Tiny Change
First on the review table are ad targeting limits – following from its already established restrictions on targeting younger users, which removes activity and interest parameters for these audiences, Meta will now also be rid of ‘gender’ as an identifier for advertisers to reach teens. Such would further limit advertiser capacity to focus their ads based on specific targeting. Meanwhile, Meta’s also doing away with certain in-app engagements, such as following certain Instagram profiles or Facebook Pages as a means to inform the ads seen by teens.
As Meta explains:
“Age and location will be the only information about a teen that we’ll use to show them ads. Age and location help us continue to ensure teens see ads that are meant for their age and products and services available where they live.”
There could be several reasons for this. For one, Meta notes that teens aren’t necessarily as ‘equipped’ as adults to make decisions about how their online data can be used, doubly so when it comes to advertising. Gender targeting can also reinforce cultural bias to an extent, while targeted ads based on in-app actions could see inappropriate promotions being shown to younger users.
To be clear, Meta already has certain safeguards in place that limit the type of ads that can be shown to teens. These new measures go a level further when it comes to limiting exposure to promotional content across Facebook and Instagram, which could also limit your capacity to hone in on specific audiences. Then again, by using its own AI-dedicated ad targeting options, users are still able to reach receptive audiences across its apps, based on relevant factors.
The only downside is that you won’t be able to use activity, gender, or interests specifically, but there are still commonalities among younger audiences that would see Meta’s AI highlight your promotions. To add, Meta’s also rolling out new options that’ll allow teens to control the ads they see in its apps. All users have access to Meta’s Ad Preferences Tool, which allows you to manage the promotions that you’re shown. Now, teens will have additional control measures that will allow them to opt out of any topic or topic group. Adults can only opt out of certain ad categories, like alcohol and gambling, but younger users can now switch off ads in almost any group, or at least highlight their disinterest.
The Wrap
These changes come in the wake of Meta’s first-ever Youth Safety and Well-Being Summit, which was held last month in Washington DC, where Meta urged governments to implement stronger protections for younger users. It might have implications for different brands, particularly those looking to reach younger audiences on Instagram, but there are still ways to do this even without specific audience targeting.
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