British Government pulls adverts from Facebook

Author: Phil Cogar
Published: 8th August 2007
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British Government pulls adverts from Facebook

30 million users and climbing, Facebook now makes advertising companies unhappy.

In the wake of six major British companies pulling their ads from Facebook last week, the British government has decided to follow suit.

The decision was made when it became knowledgeable that advertising for the government and the six companies were appearing on the profile page of the British National Party.

Advertisements on Facebook are in a rotating basis which means that advertisers have limited control over where the ads will appear.

Unless safeguards are put into place to ensure that ads reach desired audiences, the Central Office of Information has said that it will not resume advertising on Facebook.

Safeguards on rival sites Myspace and Bebo have satisfied the requirements of the COI.

Should this not be in place with all websites that have multiple advertisers so that a company's ads reach only their targeted individuals should this really be a non-issue? Tell us what you think down below in the comments or over in the forums.
Quote DougEdey 8th August 2007, 09:38
I don't understand, surely advertising to the BNP will make them angry, do something idiotic, and get more BNP members arrested?

What were the ads anyway? The new anti drug ones are quite funny, but the drink-driving one on TV is good.
Quote Bauul 8th August 2007, 10:24
Maybe it's stuff like "join the army!" and they don't want BNP crazies wandering around with guns. Or maybe it's just an old policy.

Either way, I'm kind of surprised Facebook hasn't implemented this already, it can hardly be a massive step to add "do not display advert on any groups that list themselves as 'political'" onto the advert's coding.
Quote steveo_mcg 8th August 2007, 10:44
Quote:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

1984
Quote Perforated 8th August 2007, 11:47
...so, the government won't advertise to people with different political views to them? Now that is one WEIRD bit of logic there, "we will only preach to the converted".

Adverts appearing on the BNP page should not be an issue. There is no connotation of acceptance or condonement in having them there, the money paid for the advertising doesn't go to the BNP. Actually, it seems the perfect way to get a message to BNP supporters.

Money going to a site that facilitates the BNP might be more of an understandable complaint, but would also have uncomfortable freedom of speech connotations... Facebook lets everyone have a page, so reprehensible as the BNP may be, they have a right to a page. All the more reason to use the ads to infiltrate the page a little to try & get messages accross!
Quote Boswell 8th August 2007, 11:56
I believe the companies just don't want to be related to the BNP (I guess its the same for the government...). Here is a link to the bbc article (with quotes from spokesmen/women of the companies explaining their reasons) - doesn't say anything about the government though.

Ed
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