Facebook to test letting advertisers avoid topics

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook on Friday said it is working on a way to let advertisers avoid having marketing messages appear in feeds alongside content they'd rather not be associated with.

A small group of advertisers will soon start testing new "topic exclusion controls" being honed by the leading social network, according to a post.

"These controls will help to address concerns advertisers have of their ads appearing in News Feed next to certain topics based on their brand suitability preferences," Facebook said.

The company gave the example of a children's toy company being given the option of not having its ads appear along with content that falls into a "crime and tragedy" category.

The move comes with the massive social network facing pressure from advertisers seeking to avoid toxic content and abusive content on the platform.

"This product development as well as testing and learning in News Feed will take much of the year," Facebook said.

"These are new controls, and it's important we build them with safeguards to protect people's privacy as we continue to move forward."

Facebook makes most of its money from advertising, and has been grappling with curbing the spread of hate and misinformation at the social network.