How Meta’s commitment to transparency builds the trust advertisers want for brand suitability

Today’s marketing landscape is the most dynamic it’s ever been, and each day, as we talk with advertisers around the world, we hear increasingly about the complexities they manage as part of their brand strategies: from engaging customers to navigating an evolving media landscape, and integrity is always top of mind. While brand safety is the work our teams at Meta do each day to maintain the safety of our platforms for people—and ultimately businesses—brand suitability focuses on displaying ads in the right environments. After all, it’s individual to each company based on their unique brand strategy. For instance, a beauty brand may have different preferences on the content their ads run next to, as compared with an extreme sports gear company. In my time working across the industry, I’ve had thousands of conversations with brands big and small. What comes up repeatedly are three things brands want most: control, transparency and trust. Let’s start with control. We have a suite of controls for advertisers to manage the environment in which their ads are shown. The most recent addition to this is our inventory filter for Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels, which lets brands decide which types of content they’re comfortable displaying their ads next to, aligned with the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) Suitability Framework. The inventory filter is built on a multistage AI review system to classify content for advertisers to ensure brand suitability controls are in place. This system learns to classify content in Facebook and Instagram Feeds—not only text but also video and images—to determine if it meets our monetization policies; if it does not, the content is not eligible to have ads appear above, below or within it. Beyond these controls, at Meta, we’re committed to transparency in what’s allowed on our platforms and how we’re enforcing our content policies. This ethos is woven into our product strategies and vision. We recognize that transparency is crucial for brands in ever-evolving media and geopolitical landscapes as they work in real time to care for their brand reputation and how it shows up. That’s why Meta has demonstrated a commitment to transparency through extensive reporting. For example, we’ve published our Community Standards Enforcement Report for over five years to provide critical data points about how well we are enforcing our policies. And because it’s important not to grade your own homework, we also conducted an independent assessment of this report by EY, which found our metrics to be fairly stated and our internal controls, such as the way we manage data, are operating effectively. To build trust and maintain advertiser confidence around both safety and suitability, transparent reporting and product solutions are critical—and we believe advertisers not only deserve insight into how effectively platforms enforce safety, but also visibility into how and where their ads are showing up. I know firsthand that advertisers value these controls especially during volatile times, as it gives them the tools they need to maintain business continuity while preserving their brand values. We work with our Meta Business Partner, Zefr, to offer an independent AI-powered solution to transparently report on the context in which ads appear. This solution allows advertisers to understand the suitability of content near their ads to help them make informed decisions to reach their marketing goals. Since launching the brand safety and suitability verification solution for Facebook and Instagram Feeds and Reels placement, Zefr has measured 99% brand safe content for ad adjacency. Since 2019, GARM has made transparency a top goal—and expectation—of every major social platform. It’s been through our commitments to GARM that we’ve hit important transparency milestones like receiving MRC accreditation for content-level Brand Safety on Facebook, and we’ll soon kick off reaccreditation to include our new inventory filters. Each month, as we participate in GARM’s community calls and working groups and meet regularly with the Steering Committee, we bring subject matter experts from across the company on topics like youth well-being, AI, security, misinformation and more to share updates on our work to advance both safety and suitability. With this deep level of industry engagement, we aim to provide trustworthy experiences for brands, agencies and our partners across the ecosystem. Participation through GARM is an important way to prioritize the work that will improve our entire ecosystem, and we encourage brands, agencies and platforms to continue to join and participate in GARM to have their voices heard. Advertisers deciding if they trust your company is the most critical consideration before they choose how to spend their ad dollars. Trust is built through continued action and accountability across safety and transparency. We know there is more work to do and there is no silver bullet. That’s why we remain vigilant with our industry partners to advance our collective brand safety and suitability efforts while guarding against bad actors. As we have done for many years—and will continue to do every day—we hold ourselves accountable to push these efforts forward. About Meta Founded in 2004, Meta's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. People use Meta's apps and technologies to connect with friends and family, find communities and grow businesses.

How Meta’s commitment to transparency builds the trust advertisers want for brand suitability

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