Brian Meert's Blog, page 108

Facebook Is Testing an Ad Archive API for Publishers and Researchers

August 29, 2018
Anna Hubbel

@Facebook Is Testing an Ad Archive API for Publishers and Researchers. #facebook #facebookads
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Facebook announced that it is testing an Ad Archive API with a group of US publishers and researchers. The new API helps publishers and journalists analyze and investigate political or social issue ads shared on Facebook.

In its announcement, Facebook says the new API is part of the platform’s efforts to improve transparency and reduce misuse, “especially during elections.” The company has been publicly ridiculed for inadvertently allowing Russian troll accounts to distribute politically divisive ads during the 2016 US Presidential Election. Facebook has since taken extensive action to prevent such activity from occurring again. Specifically, Facebook has been increasing transparency for all ads and pages. The new Ad Archive API is another measure the company is taking to prevent misuse of its platform.

Facebook is introducing the API to a group of publishers, academics, and researchers to receive feedback on what’s useful and what needs improvement before expanding its accessibility.

“Input from this group will also form the basis of an Archive report that will be available starting in September,” the announcement said.

Facebook says publishers and researchers will be able to use the API to access information about ad creative, the ad’s start and end dates, audience demographics reached, and performance data, such as total ad spend and impressions.

“We’re greatly encouraged by trends and insights that watchdog groups, publishers, and academics have unearthed since the archive launched in May,” the announcement concludes. “We believe this deeper analysis will increase accountability for both Facebook and advertisers.”

To access the API after Facebook concludes the initial test, Facebook says interested parties need to submit an Ad Archive API request form. However, Facebook will not respond until after the test is complete.

The post Facebook Is Testing an Ad Archive API for Publishers and Researchers appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Ad Targeting

Ad targeting on LinkedIn is tough. You want to be as detailed as possible to target customers most likely to respond to your ad—but you can’t do that if you don’t know all of the ad targeting options LinkedIn offers.

If you’re a LinkedIn advertiser, you’re going to want this free resource. Our agency has been using the Complete Guide to LinkedIn Ad Targeting as an internal resource for years, and since it has worked so well for us, we wanted to make it available to you so you can improve your LinkedIn ad campaigns.

This guide is available in a high-res infographic. We hope you find it valuable.

 

 

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New Facebook Pixel Shows How Your Group Page Drives Website Activity

August 28, 2018
Anna Hubbel

New Facebook Pixel Shows How Your Group Page Drives Website Activity. #facebook #facebookads #digitaladvertising
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Facebook groups are an excellent way to build an online community and generate interest and conversation around your business. Now, you can measure the effectiveness of your Facebook group. Similar to the Facebook Pixel that tracks website traffic generated from your ads, you can now use the tracking code to measure how your group posts drive action to your website.

How It Works

Using the pixel to see how your Facebook group drives website behaviors, place the pixel base code and relevant events on the backend of your website. Then, Facebook will show you whether a post you shared in the group generates leads or website purchases.

You can see events caused by group posts that are tracked by the pixel through the Group Insights tab in the left-hand menu of your group page. There, you’ll see all of your group events and breakdowns of each event’s results. For example, you’ll see the number of website events resulting from your group posts, growth details, post engagement details, and the people who contribute the most to your group page.

Image Courtesy of Facebook

Note that the aforementioned breakdown is only available through the Groups Insights tab. It is not viewable in Events Manager or Ads Manager since the results are not related to any paid ads. Additionally, only groups with more than 50 members have access to the Groups Insights tab.

Written by Anna Hubbel, staff writer at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads 

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5 Things You Need to Do to Thrive in E-commerce

August 28, 2018
Josh Wardini

5 Things You Need to Do to Thrive in E-commerce. #ecommerce #business #advertising
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Although amounting to $4.8 billion in sales, worldwide e-commerce sales growth is predicted to steadily decline by roughly one percent year after year until 2021. To survive this future, you must include seamless e-commerce integration. Here are five key things that your business needs to offer to make sure it gains and maintains a competitive advantage, according to research by Subscriptionly.

Optimize Delivery Speed

If you can, offer same day deliveries. Most of your shoppers will buy more if you offered same-day deliveries. Most of your shoppers will also expect same-day deliveries from you if your brand is high end. The importance of same-day shipping is underscored in Subscriptionly’s research that shows 73 percent of buyers are willing to pay $10 for shipping via drone if their packages are guaranteed to be delivered within an hour.

Personalization

Content overload is a problem these days. People don’t want to see content they don’t care about, especially when there’s better, more relevant content vying for their attention. That’s why customers value customization and personalization.

According to Subscriptionly, 41 percent of surveyed customers changed to companies with better personalization, and 48 percent spent more money because of good shop customization, like showing recommended products based on their likes or even the current weather!

Always Mobile First

While numerous shoppers purchase on desktops, more than half of consumers browse using smartphones. In fact, 58 percent of buyers use their mobile devices to research products. Smartphone-based purchases are also forecasted to increase up to 60 percent by 2020. If your e-commerce store isn’t optimized for mobile, the bad UX will likely detract from your sales, likely hurting your SEO.

Provide Multiple Access and Payment Options

Seventy-three percent of consumers shop using multiple channels. Try to at least be present in two social media networks to make it easier for your audience to find and interact with your brand.

Also, alternative payment options like cryptocurrency are predicted to overtake credit cards as the preferred mode of payment. Research now on how to integrate that into your current payment options.

Video Is King

Because people want to see how to use your product or service, showing them in a video builds trust. You can increase your average order value by 68 percent by inserting product videos in most of your page.

There are more ways to ensure you stay competitive in e-commerce. In fact, the aforementioned tips are only a sneak peak. To learn more about thriving in e-commerce, examine the infographic below.

This infographic was provided by Subscriptionly.

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Snapchat and the Many Connections It Cultivates

August 27, 2018
Anna Hubbel

Snapchat and the Many Connections It Cultivates. #snapchat #digitaladvertising #marketing
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Rhone / Unsplash

Sometimes, in the midst of elaborate marketing strategies and creative brainstorming, it’s easy to forget social media’s true purpose: connecting people, building relationships, communicating with loved ones. Social media exists to help us stay in touch with others from wherever we are. I am so grateful that social media allows me to communicate with my family amidst the craziness that is my life. In particular, Snapchat has helped bring my immediate family closer together.

While Snapchat is better known for its popularity with Gen Zs, members of my immediate family, who range from my parents to Millennials to Gen Zs, have a group chat on the platform that we use to connect. We send Snaps to each other of silly events that happen at work, at home, or even out and about throughout the day. I can’t tell you how many Snaps I’ve received of the family cat terrorizing the family dog.

Older generations often complain that younger generations spend too much time on their phones, missing real-life relationships. However, platforms like Snapchat bring people closer together through the virtual universe when they can’t physically be at the same place. Snapchat allows families like mine to create and capture memories together no matter where we are or aren’t.

My family isn’t the only one that Snapchat connects. In an article published by The Washington Post in 2017, freelance writer Lauren DePino admits that she began using the app to connect with the teenagers in her family:

“As Snapchat continues to strengthen communication among us, I’m learning that preserving what we’re sharing isn’t the point. It’s the living moment that matters. From my perspective as a 35-year-old, seeing teenage life as it happens cultivates a better overall relationship. These moments show life as it is—genuine, goofy and ephemeral. These teens aren’t striving to depict themselves as perfect because, once shared, the images disappear. No one keeps score of who’s messaging whom. There is no fishing for likes, no room for fake praise. It’s just conversation and connection.”

As DePino eloquently stated, Snapchat helps people connect with one another by capturing genuine and ephemeral moments, the kind of moments that typically occur in real life. Using Snapchat, people can experience the moments for which they can’t be physically present.

Snapchat Also Connects Users with Businesses
Thomas Young / Unsplash

Although Snapchat prioritizes personal relationships, it doesn’t neglect relationships between the users and the businesses that advertises on its platform. Back in April, Snap allowed users to purchase from businesses within Snapchat without leaving the app. This capability not only brings convenience to the user but also helps businesses grow by eliminating friction in the user’s buying journey. Rather than being redirected to a slow-loading, mobile-unfriendly website, users can seamlessly and easily purchase from the app.

Additionally, Snapchat helps businesses increase foot traffic by allowing businesses to show ads to users based on their current location. Using the Location Filters, for example, businesses can show their filters, complete with brand logo, to users who are near their brick-and-mortar stores.

Studies show that Snapchat is an effective tool to connect users with businesses. Last year, users spent more than 130 million hours on Snapchat in the US for back-to-school shopping, one of the two biggest shopping times of the year. In 2017, back-to-school shopping accounted for $27 billion in US sales. Snapchat was a major influencer during that sales boom.

The Family That Snapchats Together Buys Together

When users connect with their families on Snapchat, their conversations have an impact on their purchase decisions. For example, if my sister shares a Snap of her and her boyfriend watching a popular Netflix show, it might spark my interest in paying for a Netflix subscription. Or if my dad says he’s really enjoying his new Google Home, I might consider getting myself a voice assistant for my apartment. Perhaps my mom and I want to meet up for lunch, so we turn to Discover and Snap Map to find something close by.

The idea that families are influential in purchase decisions isn’t new. Snap Inc., parent company of Snapchat, is privy to its users’ behavioral patterns. The company previously revealed in a business blog post that Gen Zs influence $600 billion in household spending on the one hand and seek their parents’ approval to buy something on the other.

Snapchat helps cultivate a network that grows and connects like branches of a family tree. Snapchat connects family members with family members, friends with friends. As those connections grow and strengthen, a branch that connects users to businesses sprouts. The longer users spend on Snapchat, the higher the likelihood that they will stumble upon a sponsored filter or lense that features a business they might be interested in. Snapchat doesn’t value one relationship over the other. It values both and strives to cultivate both.

Written by Anna Hubbel, staff writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency 

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Pew Research Center Report Shows Social Media Influences Opinions

August 24, 2018
Anna Hubbel

@PewResearchCenter Report Shows Social Media Influences Opinions. #fakenews #socialmedia
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It may sound ridiculous that a social media post can influence others’ stance on an issue. Believe it or not, it can, according to a recent Pew Research Center report. A recent survey revealed that 14 percent of Americans in the past year have changed their stance on a political or social issue because of social media.

The survey, conducted from May 29 to June 11, found that US adults do, in fact, take information they encounter on social media very seriously. With the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements, as well as daily presidential tweets about national topics filling up feeds, public opinions are bound to be affected in some way. While most Americans may take these opportunities to counter or support what populates their feeds, Pew Research Center’s findings show some citizens change their minds because of it.

In its findings, Pew Research Center reported that young men in particular have been more likely than other demographics to change their opinions after seeing something on social media. Specifically, in the past year, three-in-ten men in the 18 to 29 age range altered their stance on a political or social issue because of the information they saw on social media. That’s a full 29 percent. In contrast, only 12 percent of men aged 30 and older and 11 percent of women aged 30 and older said the same.

Race and ethnicity was also a factor measured in the study. These are the ethnicities and races of the citizens who said social media affected their views in the past year:

Black: 19 percent
Hispanic: 22 percent
White: 11 percent

Additionally, political party affiliation was an indicator of people’s tendencies to change views. The survey revealed the following about party affiliation in respect to likeliness to change views in response to social media:

Democrats and Democrat-leaning Independents: 17 percent

Men: 21 percent

Women: 14 percent
Republicans and Republican leaners: 9 percent

Men: 9 percent

Women: 9 percent

Clearly, social media is a powerful influencer in matters of political and public opinion.

Social Media and Fake News

Although 14 percent seems like such a minuscule portion of the American population, Pew Research Center discovered that the people who make up that number place significant importance on social media as a political and activist resource. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can indeed be useful tools for healthy debates and conversations to encourage positive change—but they can also influence people’s opinions with fake news

During the 2016 US Presidential Election, Russian troll accounts distributed politically divisive ads to spark controversy and manipulate voters’ views on important topics such as gun control. The accounts that distributed those ads posed as US organizations such as Black Lives Matter, LGBT United, L for Life, Being Patriotic, and Born Liberal, organizations people trust. One particular page, posing under the name Secured Borders, promoted anti-immigration rhetoric, acquiring 133,000 followers.

The proliferation of fake news on social media has the potential to cause crises at the national level. Recognizing social media’s influence on people’s opinions, Facebook is implementing stricter rules for advertisers and publishers who want to use the platform to promote content. In light of the election interference, Facebook deliberated on the meaning of “free expression,” as bad actors use the term as justification to share fake news, spread hate speech, and even incite violence.

Facebook is also increasing transparency for pages and ads. Any advertiser who distributes electoral or “issue” ads (i.e. ads about controversial issues like gun control) must first receive authorization. These ads will be labeled a “Political Ad” to let people know that the ad has a political purpose. Facebook also requires pages with large US audiences to adhere to new authorization requirements before they can continue to post and advertise on the platform.

Written by Anna Hubbel, staff writer at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads

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Facebook Removes More Than 5,000 Ad Targeting Options

August 23, 2018
Anna Hubbel

Facebook Removes More Than 5,000 Ad Targeting Options. #facebookadvertising #facebookads #news
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Philippe Awouters / Unsplash

Facebook refined its platform misuse efforts at a massive level earlier this week. In addition to announcing an educational certification advertisers will be required to complete, Facebook said it is removing more than 5,000 ad targeting options to discourage discriminatory advertising. The platform explained that these changes better support its advertising principles.

Preventing Discrimination

Facebook received backlash after ProPublica exposed targeting options available on the platform that could be used to discriminate and promote hate speech. ProPublica discovered ads targeting “Jew haters.” Facebook responded by blocking controversial ads and removing self-reported targeting options. Now, to further prevent misuse of its advertising tools, Facebook is taking away thousands of targeting options that could be manipulated for discriminatory purposes.

“While these options have been used in legitimate ways to reach people interested in a certain product or service, we think minimizing the risk of abuse is more important,” Facebook said in the announcement. “This includes limiting the ability for advertisers to exclude audiences that relate to attributes such as ethnicity or religion.”

Educating Advertisers

To nip misuse in the bud, Facebook educates advertisers on the platform’s standards and expectations. Over the past year, Facebook has required advertisers promoting housing, employment, and credit ads to complete a certification on the platform’s non-discrimination policy. Now, Facebook says it’s expanding that certification requirement to all advertisers via Ads Manager. It will roll out gradually in the coming weeks to all advertisers if they wish to continue using Facebook ads.

“We’ve designed this education in consultation with outside experts to underscore the difference between acceptable ad targeting and ad discrimination,” said Facebook.

Facebook is still exploring ways to improve its platform. Its recent changes suggest there is still more to come. Earlier this month, the platform introduced its new page authorization requirements.

Written by Anna Hubbel, staff writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising company 

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Hackers Are Breaking into Instagram Accounts. Five Ways to Protect Yourself

August 23, 2018
Anna Hubbel

Hackers Are Breaking into Instagram Accounts. 5 Ways to Protect Yourself. #instagramhackers #socialmedia #hackers
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It’s an awful feeling of disorientation when you discover your Instagram has been hacked. Unfortunately, many users have been experiencing that disorienting feeling. According to Fortune and Mashable, hundreds of Instagram accounts have been hacked this month, with the number of targets increasingly growing.

These hacks, bizarrely, have identical characteristics. Fortune reports that those who are hacked realize they’re suddenly logged out of their accounts and can’t log back in. When examining their accounts using their friends’ profiles, these users see that while their other pictures are untouched, their profile photos have been replaced with animated characters from Disney and Pixar. Additionally, users find that their contact information has been changed to Russian email addresses, distinguishable by the .ru domain, making the hack even more unsettling.

Here’s another unusual element of these hacks: the attackers do not post images from the invaded accounts even though they gained full control over the users’ data. If you’re worried that your account is at risk, there are precautionary measures you can take to protect yourself.

How to Protect Your Instagram Account from Hackers

The sooner you take action to protect your account, the more likely you will remain safe from this latest social media threat. Here are some of the ways you can do that.

1. Change Your Password

One of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your Instagram account (and any online account for that matter) is changing your password. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating a new password that isn’t hackable:

Make sure it’s a strong password. Include at least six numbers, letters, and punctuation characters (e.g. ! and &).
Don’t use the same password you use for other accounts. Hackers look for patterns across accounts to break into the accounts of their victims. The more unique your password, the better.
Set reminders on your phone to change your password regularly. Regularly updating your password will better protect your account from hackers.
Don’t share your password with anyone. Unless it’s people you trust, and you need to share your password with them for a very good reason, there’s no reason to let anyone know your password.

2. Change the Password for the Email Account Connected to Your Instagram

Since your email address is essential to logging into your Instagram, it’s just as important to protect the password for your email account. Just as you should regularly update your password for Instagram, you should also routinely update your email’s password. But don’t use the same password for both accounts: keep them unique to make it harder for attackers to hack.

3. Revoke Access to Suspicious Third-Party Apps

Hackers can get to you using third-party apps. To protect your data from apps you don’t trust, go to the Authorized Applications section of your account settings via the desktop application. Once you see the apps you’ve authorized, choose the ones whose access you want to revoke.

4. Turn On Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is Instagram’s recommended security feature that requires anyone logging into your account from an unknown device to enter a code after filling out the username and password entries. Using the phone number linked to your account, Instagram sends you the security code via text message. Whenever you or someone tries to log in from a device Instagram doesn’t recognize as yours, a second step will require the entry of that security code. A hacker cannot get into your account without that unique code, which is only accessible through your phone.

Here’s how you can turn on two-factor authentication:

Step 1: Go to your account settings.

Step 2: Scroll down to “Privacy and Security” where it says “Two-Factor Authentication.”

Step 3: Turn on “Require Security Code.”

Step 4: If you do not yet have a confirmed phone number connected to your account, you will be prompted to provide one. Once you have your number connected, you will receive a unique code via text. Enter the code in the field provided, then press “Next.” And you’re done!

5. Log Out When Using Shared Devices

It’s easy to forget something so simple since we have no need to log out of our social media accounts on our phones or private computers. But staying logged into devices that others use is a surefire way for someone to steal your login information. Always log out of devices that aren’t private and be sure leave the “Remember Me” box unchecked.

What to Do If Your Account Has Already Been Hacked

If your account has already been hacked and you can’t log in with your password, you should select the “Get help signing in” option on the platform’s login screen. Follow the prompts that allow you to use your username or email address to recover your account. If the hackers changed your username or email, there’s also an option to use both your username and email to recover your account.

In some cases, your account may have been hacked but you can still log in. If this is the case, you should immediately change your password and proceed to take the preventative measures discussed in this article to keep your account safe.

For more information about online security, read about the five best practices for protecting yourself against cyber breaches.

Written by Anna Hubbel, staff writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency 

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Facebook Rates Users’ Trustworthiness on a Zero to One Scale

August 22, 2018
Anna Hubbel

Facebook Rates Users’ Trustworthiness on a Zero to One Scale. #facebook #news #socialmedia
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Facebook will now rate users on their trustworthiness, according to a recent article by The Washington Post. The rating system, which Facebook reportedly created over the past year, measures users’ credibility on a scale of zero to one. Facebook made the rating system to determine whether users who report information as untrue are credible. Facebook found that some people who report information as untrue do so because they disagree with the content or because they are strategically tarnishing the reputations of certain publishers.

“I like to make the joke that, if people only reported things that were false, this job would be so easy!” Lyons told The Washington Post. “People often report things that they just disagree with.”

According to The Washington Post, the trustworthiness score doesn’t represent credibility overall. It is, however, one of many behavioral measurements the platform considers when determining credibility. Facebook also considers users’ propensity to flag content and publishers’ credibility among users.

“One of the signals we use is how people interact with articles,” Tessa Lyons, Facebook’s product manager in charge of fighting misinformation, told The Washington Post. “For example, if someone previously gave us feedback that an article was false and the article was confirmed false by a fact-checker, then we might weigh that person’s future false-news feedback more than someone who indiscriminately provides false-news feedback on lots of articles, including ones that end up being rated as true.”

The Washington Post also says Facebook hasn’t disclosed the criteria it uses to inform scores, and it also hasn’t explained whether it will assign all users a score.

Trustworthy Ratings Are Just One Cog in Fake News Prevention

Lately, Facebook has had a difficult time keeping fake news from spiraling out of control on its platform. Fake news became a national threat when the public discovered the platform was intentionally misused during the 2016 US Presidential Election. Russian troll accounts had distributed politically controversial ads to sway voters and evoke negative emotions. Additionally, the Cambridge Analytica data firm delivered manipulated messages to users during Donald Trump’s campaign after it had dishonestly collected personal information from over 80 million profiles.

Responding to the prominence of fake news and the misuse of its platform, Facebook has been implementing new practices and features. Back in February, the company distributed a two-question survey about publishers’ trustworthiness to various users. Prior to that, Facebook announced that it was reducing the number of news sources on News Feed. Additionally, the company increased transparency for pages and ads by labeling electoral and issue ads “Political Ad” and implementing new authorization processes.

And now, Facebook is rating the trustworthiness of its users, ensuring that the posts of publishers who are trustworthy, who distribute factual news, aren’t unfairly deleted or demoted on the platform.

Unfortunately, with such a massive user base (over two billion), Facebook has a difficult task. There is no entirely foolproof approach, so there has to be various counter approaches to ensure checks and balances.

No one is perfect and Facebook is no exception. There is likely always going to be a small loophole in the system of checks and balances. However, the company is clearly doing its best to correct its mistakes and provide a better platform experience for both users and publishers. While fake news will never go away completely, perhaps Facebook’s latest efforts will at least help diminish its presence on the social network. The final result may be a predominantly trustworthy space that fosters healthy discussions.

Written by Anna Hubbel, staff writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising company 

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Facebook Takes a Hard Look at the Meaning of Free Expression

August 21, 2018
Anna Hubbel

Facebook Takes a Hard Look at the Meaning of Free Expression. #facebook #news #freedomofspeech
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Clem Onojeghuo / Unsplash

Where do we draw the line when it comes to free speech? Facebook has been repeatedly faced with this question whenever users, publishers, or advertisers share content that is considered controversial, harmful, or untrue. These days, it’s challenging to determine whether fake news should be protected by the First Amendment. In a recent article, Richard Allan, Facebook’s vice president of policy, talks about the distinction between harmful content and content that is considered free speech. He also explains how Facebook determines whether to remove, block, or demote a post to the bottom of News Feed.

Although Facebook is not intended to be a government of sorts, it has found itself at the center of many government-related topics. People often use the platform to discuss national and political subjects, as well as to question the powers that be, which is the very essence of the human right to openly express opinions and values.

“Facebook is not a government, but it is a platform for voices around the world,” Allan says in the article. “We moderate content shared by billions of people, and we do so in a way that gives free expression maximum possible range. But there are critical exceptions: we do not, for example, allow content that could physically or financially endanger people, that intimidates people through hateful language, or that aims to profit by tricking people using Facebook.”

Allan says Facebook is part of a global initiative that helps guide the social media company in establishing human rights principles for its platforms. The global initiative keeps Facebook in check to prevent smothering people’s voices. Additionally, Allan says Facebook refers to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to determine which cases require restrictions on free expression. Specifically, the ICCPR maintains that restrictions are permitted only when they are lawful and necessary to preserve the respect or reputation of others, as well as “for the protection of national security or of the public order, or of public health or morals.”

While Facebook takes cases that require restrictions of free speech very seriously, Allan says the platform leans in favor of freedom of speech. “Whether it’s a peaceful protest in the streets, an op-ed in a newspaper, or a post on social media, free expression is key to a thriving society,” says Allan. He adds, “It’s core to both who we are and why we exist.”

It should be understood that Facebook users have the right to make false statements on the platform. However, this is where things get a little cloudy in terms of what is allowed on Facebook and what isn’t. Shouldn’t untrue statements be considered fake news? Allan explains that there are some instances in which users may share content that is false without breaching any of the platform’s rules. In these cases, Facebook doesn’t block or delete the content but instead demotes or pushes it down in News Feed once fact-checkers determine that it is, in fact, untrue. Additionally, Facebook will direct users to articles containing truthful information on the same subject. This helps maintain a balance and gives everyone the opportunity to consider both sides of the story.

When Does Facebook Make Exceptions to Free Expression?

But which posts should be restricted? Facebook provides two primary categories for which it makes exceptions and restricts freedom of expression on its platform:

Personal harm (i.e. posts that pose a credible threat of violence)
Hate speech (i.e. posts that intimidate and exclude, creating dangerous offline implications)

As the Facebook article supplements, the platform’s policies are ever changing to keep Facebook a safe space. For example, the company recently introduced a new policy that removes posts that contribute to violence. Under this new policy, the company works with threat intelligence agencies to review all posts intended to provoke violence or physical harm. Additionally, back in October, Facebook placed all ads with potentially sensitive content under human review to prevent hate speech from being distributed on the platform. This new review process came shortly after the company discovered ads targeting “Jew haters” in one instance and learned that Russian troll accounts distributed politically divisive ads during the 2016 US Presidential Election in another.

Facebook also recently announced new restrictions for ads for addiction treatment centers and bail bonds to ensure users are not tricked into paying for something when they are in their most vulnerable state. The new restrictions are in place to help prevent what could potentially cause personal harm.

“Trying to piece together a framework for speech that works for everyone—and making sure we effectively enforce that framework—is challenging,” the Facebook article concludes. “But as we make clear in our Community Standards, every policy we have is grounded in three core principles: giving people a voice, keeping people safe, and treating people equitably. The frustrations we hear about our policies—outside and internally as well—come from the inevitable tension between these three principles.”

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