By Elizabeth Culliford

(Reuters) –Facebook Inc announced Tuesday that it will remove specific ad targeting options for sensitive topics such as ads based upon interactions around content related to race, religion, politics, or sexual orientation.

The company, which recently changed its name to Meta https://www.reuters.com/technology/facebooks-zuckerberg-kicks-off-its-virtual-reality-event-with-metaverse-vision-2021-10-28 and which makes the vast majority of its revenue through digital advertising, has been under intense scrutiny over its ad-targeting abilities and rules in recent years.

Facebook (NASDAQ) posted examples in a blog posting of categories it would not allow to target, including “Lung Cancer Awareness”, “World Diabetes Day”, and “LGBT Culture”. The company stated that the changes would be implemented starting January 19, 2022.

There have been criticisms of the company’s micro-targeting abilities, as well as abuses like targeting or discriminating against vulnerable groups by advertisers.

Graham (NYSE) Mudd, vice president, product marketing, for ads of the company, stated that experts have raised concerns that these targeting options could lead to adverse experiences for underrepresented people.

This enables advertisers to use it for targeted advertising, whether they are targeting political campaigns or social issues groups.

Mudd explained that the decision to end Detailed Targeting was difficult and could have a negative impact on some organizations and businesses. He also said that advertising partners are concerned about not being able to utilize these ads to promote positive social change.

Facebook advertising platforms allow advertisers to still target specific audiences by geography, create their own customer lists and reach audiences that have interacted with their content. Advertisers can also send ads to users with similar traits to theirs.

Users can choose to not see ads about politics or alcohol. The company said that it will give users more control over what ads they see next year, such as those related to gambling and weight loss.