Meta Bans Targeted Ads for Teens Based on Gender to Protect Younger Users

Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, has announced that it will be banning advertisers from targeting ads at teens based on gender. The company said that this change will take effect in February of 2023 and that advertisers will only be allowed to use age and location when targeting ads at teens globally. 

Meta's decision to ban gender-targeted ads for teens comes as the company faces accusations that its platforms can be detrimental to young users. In addition to no longer targeting ads based on gender, Meta also said that teens' past activity on their apps would no longer inform the ads they see. This change is intended to further protect younger users from seeing ads that may not be appropriate. 

Meta is not the only tech giant that has taken steps to protect younger users from targeted ads. Apple has also recently announced that it would be banning targeted ads for children under the age of 16. Other tech companies, such as Google, have also implemented policies to protect younger users from targeted ads. 

Meta's move to ban gender-targeted ads for teens is likely to have a major impact on their revenues. Advertisers are a major source of the company's income, and this move could result in a significant decrease in those revenues. 

Meta's decision to ban gender-targeted ads for teens is a major step towards protecting younger users from seeing potentially inappropriate ads. Although this move is likely to have a negative effect on their revenues, it is also likely to be met with praise from those concerned about the potential harm to younger users on their platforms.