With Facebook at the center of the data privacy discussion, the company is starting to release new advertising requirements to offer more transparency to users of the platform. Recently, the company introduced new requirements for advertisers, specifically as it relates to Custom Audience Targeting.
Facebook’s Custom Audiences allows marketers an opportunity to target and reach audiences based on contact info generated outside of Facebook. Additionally, Facebook offers lookalike audience targeting based on these custom audience lists, but requirements with these tools are changing.
Beginning July 2, when advertisers upload Custom Audiences to Facebook for targeting they will be required to specify the source of the contact information. Advertisers will indicate whether the data uploaded was collected straight from customers, from partners or a mixture of the two.
On the users’ side, Facebook will present this information under a “Why am I seeing this ad?” heading that will offer an explanation on why the user is seeing the ad, as well as if the advertiser was able to reach the user through their phone number or email address. Through the individual ad or in the “Ad Preferences” section of the site, customers will be able to stop seeing ads from any given advertiser.
The company also updated its requirements for advertisers seeking to share their custom audiences with others via a customer file. For this to happen, each party must create an audience-sharing relationship through business manager and agree to the Custom Audience terms.
In an effort to remind advertisers of their responsibility to protect their customer’s privacy prior to running an ad, Facebook will now require all members on an ad account to accept the aforementioned terms. As Facebook continues to emphasize ad and data transparency, marketers will need to stay up to speed on these changes.
