In Early November, Meta, the social media company formerly known as Facebook, announced their decision to remove sensitive ad-targeting options. Starting on January 19, 2022, advertisers will no longer have the option to select certain detailed targeting topics that relate to health, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, religion or sexual orientation. Additionally, users will soon be able to opt out of receiving ads about sensitive areas, such as gambling or weight loss.

As Meta acknowledges, experts have raised concerns that sensitive targeting options could be used to potentially discriminate against underrepresented groups. Graham Mudd, the vice president of product marketing at Meta, said, “We’ve heard concerns from experts that targeting options like these could be used in ways that lead to negative experiences for people in underrepresented groups.”

Due to these considerations, Meta says this ad-targeting change is being made to reduce the potential for abuse and provide more value for Facebook users.

So what does this mean for advertisers? While many targeting options will still be available on Facebook, advertisers should proactively be testing new strategies, technology and audiences to ensure their advertising efforts remain successful. Even those that will not be directly impacted by the removal of sensitive interests should preemptively seek different targeting methods.

Ultimately, this interest-targeting change is yet another reminder for advertisers to continue building up first-party data. While most advertisers have prioritized growing first-party data earlier this year due to Apple’s iOS 14.5 changes, Meta’s announcement reiterates the importance of preparing for a cookie-less world.