A public database kept by Facebook reveals dozens of advertisements related to LGBTQ themes blocked by the company for supposedly being political, according to reporting by theWashington Post. Ads that invited guests to a fabulously flamboyant comedy show, a night celebrating Selena Quintanilla-Pérez with a screening of the 1997 film, or even just an invitation to the Long Island Pride Parade were all blocked in the months since Facebook rolled out its new policy.
The Post reports that Facebook said most of those advertisements were blocked in error. Using both automated and human monitors, the company’s system flagged these posts for being “political” despite a lack of distinctly political content. Yet some obviously political ads, like those promoting senators and advocacy groups, found no resistance from the ad-blockers.
Facebook officially changed its policy in late spring. Many of the people interviewed by the Post said that was when their problems with LGBTQ content began. Around 15 ads for the LGBT Network have been blocked so far, according to chief executive David Kilmnick.
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Facebook’s new policy, aimed at better regulating the content posted on its platform, requires registration from any person or company seeking to promote content related to political parties or candidates. When Facebook received complaints, it responded by telling companies that their ads were related to civil rights and therefore were inherently political. It also invited companies to register as political entities through Facebook—a process that involves disclosing private information like a driver’s license number or passport and the last four digits of a social security number—in order to avoid ads being blocked.
Many people didn’t know about the ability to register, however, and still others told the Post that registering as political felt “dishonest to their organization’s mission.” More than anything, many questioned the legitimacy of defining LGBTQ content as political in the first place, considering this is a question of identity rather than policy. Facebook policies do outline why ads related to tense political topics like gun rights and abortion sometimes get flagged, but the list does not include LGBTQ-related ads. Considering Facebook’s prior issues with security—like the massive data breach that recently led to a lawsuit—many users are hesitant to share any private information on the platform. In response to questions from the Post, Facebook said that the majority of the LGBTQ ads were blocked in error, but did not say why they were flagged in the first place.Facebook has been struggling to respond appropriately to the way the platform was used against the American voter in the 2016 presidential election when Russian interference led to false advertisements aimed at sowing discord among the populace. Facebook has struggled to find the proper approach to regulating the information that appears on its service, from personal posts to ads and company pages.There are few other options providing as large a potential audience as Facebook, which limits many companies from branching out to other social media platforms, despite irritation and discomfort. And despite its history of LGBTQ-friendly actions—it even supported the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015—this new move by Facebook is seeing more groups reviewing their options.
Nahila Bonfiglio reports on geek culture and gaming. Her work has also appeared on KUT’s Texas Standard (Austin), KPAC-FM (San Antonio), and the Daily Texan.
