Facebook to restrict hateful content, ban ads encouraging racial divisions, religious affiliation

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California: Social media giant Facebook will update its advertising policy to restrict hateful content and explicitly ban ads that encourage racial divisions and religious affiliation.

Specifically, the new policy will prohibit claims that people from a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status are a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others. 

The policy will also restrict ads that express contempt for immigrants or refugees, The Verge reported.

Notably, the new restrictions apply only to advertisements and will not affect posts without paid promotion.

"Facebook stands for giving people a voice, and that especially means people who have previously not had as much voice, or as much power to share their own experiences. It`s really important that we make sure our platforms live up to these principles," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a company town hall while announcing the changes. 

The restrictions are part of a suite of changes Facebook is making in advance of the 2020 US elections.