Facebook tests blocking ads on ‘painful’ topics

Facebook is conducting a test in which it lets users block ads on topics they may find painful. This applies, for example, to people who have lost a child and are confronted with advertisements for baby equipment.

A company spokesperson tells the site Adage that advertisements about parenting and alcohol are most often perceived by people as unwanted. Therefore, the social network now offers the possibility to block ads on these two topics. Facebook says it wants to add other topics if people report them as unwanted.

Until now it was only possible to indicate which advertisements were actually desired. There is now the option to block certain topics. The change is part of a redesign of the Ads preferences page. It should now be easier to find and use.

Facebook is experimenting with ads more often. For example, it previously tested advertisements on video streams and made an adjustment so that people with ad blockers still saw advertisements.