INFLUENCER MARKETING

Meta Advertising Policies Explained: What You Can and Can’t Do in 2025

Running ads on Meta means keeping up with policies that shift faster than most marketers can track.

The platform has tightened its rules across content types, audience targeting, and advertiser behavior.

These changes are happening as Meta’s advertising business grows at scale: its annual ad revenue surged by 22% in 2024, exceeding $160 billion.

And with nearly 4 billion people using Meta’s apps monthly and more than 3.3 billion engaging daily, the stakes for running compliant, effective campaigns have never been higher.

This article explains what you can and cannot do under Meta’s current advertising policies.

We’ll explore:

• A breakdown of restricted, prohibited, and limited content categories
• How Meta’s review process and human review system actually work
• What triggers policy violations, and how to avoid them
• Tips for staying compliant when creating high-performing ad campaigns

Let’s dive in.

P.S. If you need expert help running compliant and effective campaigns, check out our Top Meta Advertising Agencies list. These are the experts who actually know how to play by the rules and get results.

TL;DR:

Meta’s ad policies govern what advertisers can promote across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads, covering ad content, audience targeting, and data practices.

Policy violations can lead to ad rejection, account restrictions, permanent bans, and legal consequences.

Prohibited content includes scams, deceptive financial products, misleading health claims, illegal products, and violent or sensational content.

Restricted categories like alcohol, gambling, health, finance, and political/social issues require extra care, documentation, and proper disclosures.

Special Ad Categories (Housing, Employment, Credit) come with strict targeting limitations to prevent discrimination.

Transparency updates include automatic UTM tagging and tighter data-sharing restrictions, with more scrutiny on pixel data and CRM syncing.

Meta’s enforcement now relies heavily on AI-driven moderation, supported by human review and the expanded "Community Notes" system.

New ad formats include Threads video ads and enhanced Creator Collabs for influencer partnerships.

Common ad rejection triggers include mismatched landing pages, restricted language, broken targeting rules, fast editing cycles, and negative account history.

Best practices: Stay updated on policies, audit ads pre-launch, maintain clear messaging, document approvals, manage audiences properly, and monitor account health.

Meta’s direction is toward deeper automation and stricter enforcement, especially for sensitive and high-risk categories.

What are Meta's Ad Policies?

Meta’s ad policies set the ground rules for what advertisers can and cannot promote across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads.

These standards cover everything from restricted content and prohibited topics to landing page compliance and targeting requirements.

As stated by SafeMyLeads:

"Meta Ads Policy is a comprehensive framework designed to ensure that advertisements on Meta platforms are safe, relevant, and respectful."

Why Meta Advertising Policies are Important?

Now that we know what Meta's ad policies are, let's explore why they matter to you as an advertiser:

1. Protect Your Brand Reputation

Adherence to Meta's advertising standards ensures your brand isn't associated with objectionable or misleading content.  It helps you protect your brand’s credibility and public image.

2. Stay Legally Compliant and Avoid Fines

By aligning your advertising practices with Meta's policies, you reduce the risk of legal pitfalls and ensure adherence to regulations like the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

3. Enhance User Trust

Transparent and respectful advertising builds trust among your target audience. It leads to better engagement and customer loyalty.

4. Optimize Ad Performance

Ads that meet Meta’s standards are less likely to be rejected or removed. This results in more consistent delivery, better visibility, and stronger performance metrics.

5. Access Advanced Tools  and Features

By aligning with Meta's guidelines, you gain full access to their suite of advertising tools, allowing for more effective campaign management.

Understanding why these policies matter is only half the story, what really hits home are the consequences you face when you do not follow the rules.

That brings us to the next section:

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Ignoring Meta's ad guidelines can lead to:

• Ad disapproval: Your ad gets rejected, disrupting your campaign's momentum.
• Account restrictions: Repeated violations can limit your ability to run ads or access certain features.
• Permanent bans: In severe cases, Meta may disable your ad account entirely, cutting off access to your audience.
• Legal repercussions: Non-compliance, especially regarding data privacy, can lead to hefty fines.

Real-World Enforcement: United Kingdom

Meta’s content enforcement actions reflect the growing global pressure to comply with local laws. In the United Kingdom alone:

• 18,200 pieces of content were restricted in the first half of 2024
• 15,400 more items were restricted in the second half of 2024

This brought the total number of content restrictions in the UK to over 33,000 in 2024, a significant increase from previous years. All of these restrictions were applied locally, with no global enforcement reported.

This rapid rise in localized enforcement highlights the serious consequences of non-compliance, especially in regions with strong regulatory oversight.

Case Study: New Zealand Police Death Incident (Feb 2025)

Meta received a formal request from the New Zealand Police to restrict access to five pieces of content containing footage of a fatal incident where a vehicle struck two police officers. The request cited a court order prohibiting the publication of any footage related to the incident.

Result: Access to the five items was restricted within New Zealand due to alleged violations of local law. Meta also notified the impacted users, in line with its legal obligations and commitment to jurisdiction-specific enforcement.

Interesting note: It’s not just advertisers who can face consequences; Meta itself isn’t immune. On 23 April 2025, the European Commission fined Meta EUR 200 million for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), finding that it failed to provide EU users with a less data-invasive service, as required by the regulation.

How Meta’s Ad Policy System Works?

If you want to avoid the pain of non-compliance, you need to understand how Meta’s advertising policies are structured behind the scenes.

Core Policy Areas

Meta’s ad policies are built around three main pillars:

• Ad content standards
• Targeting and audience restrictions
• Data and privacy requirements.

Ad content standards set the boundaries on what you can show or say in ads, including rules about restricted content, objectionable content, and misleading practices.

Targeting and audience restrictions define who you are allowed to reach, with special limits for ads targeting minors or sensitive groups.

Data and privacy requirements lay out how you must handle user data, from transparent consent to secure business operations.

Policy Enforcement Mechanisms

Meta enforces these policies through a combination of automated systems and human oversight.

Automated reviews, powered by AI, quickly scan ads for potential violations.

In more complex or disputed cases, human reviewers step in to assess the context.

Additionally, Meta’s “Community Notes” feature lets trusted contributors provide contextual insights.

This helps improve the fairness and transparency of enforcement decisions.

After understanding how Meta’s ad policy system operates, the next step is knowing exactly which types of content are completely off-limits:

What’s Prohibited Under Meta Advertising Policies?

Meta draws a hard line when it comes to content that poses a risk to users or the platform.

These are not gray areas; ads that fall into the categories below are blocked quickly, often without the chance to appeal.

Scams, Fraudulent Offers, and Deceptive Practices

Meta strictly bans ads that deceive users or misuse engagement tactics, especially when they involve personal data, money, or exaggerated claims. These violations can lead to ad disapproval, account restrictions, or permanent bans.

a. Prohibited Loan Products

Ads cannot promote:

• Payday loans: short-term, high-interest loans due by next payday
• Salary advances: loans taken against future wages
• Bail bonds: court-ordered conditional release loans
• Short-term loans (90 days or less): full repayment required within 90 days
• Misleading student loan services: ads that exaggerate benefits or hide terms

b. Misleading Health Practices

Meta rejects health ads that:

• Claim to cure incurable or terminal illnesses, including cancer, HIV, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and more
• Guarantee results within a set time without disclaimers
• Use clickbait tactics like sensational language or dramatic before/after imagery

c. Deceptive Financial Instruments

Ads cannot promote:

• Penny auctions: where each bid requires a non-refundable fee
• Binary options: high-risk, all-or-nothing financial products
• Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs): unregulated crypto funding methods
• CFD trading: speculative contracts with high risk of loss

Illegal Products & Services

Meta prohibits ads that promote products, services, or content considered illegal in specific regions. This includes material flagged by:

• Local governments and regulators
• Court orders
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• Public reports alleging illegality

Even if the content is legal elsewhere, Meta may restrict or remove ads based on valid legal reports or local laws. In such cases, restrictions typically apply only within the affected jurisdiction, not globally.

Meta reviews each report carefully, balancing legal obligations with human rights commitments before taking action. The goal is to respect local laws while maintaining user trust and platform integrity.

Dangerous and Violent Content

Meta strictly prohibits ads that promote violence, incite harm, or contain shocking or graphic imagery. This includes:

• Content that incites threats, public disruption, or supports dangerous organizations
• Violent, gruesome, or sensational visuals, including depictions of firearms, bladed weapons, or explosives pointed at the viewer
• Images showing exposed organs, bones, or muscle tissue, even in medical or educational contexts
• Fictional images that closely resemble real people in violent scenarios (unless used in approved motion picture posters)
• Anti-vaccine content tied to false health claims, flagged as both harmful and misleading

Restricted Categories: What Requires Extra Care

While some content is clearly prohibited, some ads live in a tricky space.

Not fully banned, but subject to stricter advertising policies, additional guidelines, and closer human review.

These categories are high-risk by nature, so Meta applies extra scrutiny before letting anything go live.

Sensitive Industries

Alcohol, gambling, adult content, tobacco, and cessation products are considered high-risk by Meta’s review teams.

Ads for alcohol must follow strict alcohol advertising laws, including age requirements, regional restrictions, and content filters.

Gambling and betting promotions require explicit pre-approval and must avoid making exaggerated promises.

Example: An ad promoting a new vodka brand with vibrant images of young people partying and no mention of age restrictions? That’s a violation.

Health & Financial Products

If you’re promoting online pharmacies, wellness products, and financial products, you’ll need proper documentation and targeting controls.

This includes complying with age requirements, avoiding misleading claims, and making sure the content is not classified as deceptive content.

Weight-loss ads and supplements are often reviewed manually and can be flagged for deceptive content or body image concerns, especially when they use close-up images, bright flashing lights, or clickable buttons on images to drive clicks.

Meta works closely with regulatory authorities on this, so there is no wiggle room.

Example: An ad for a lip filler clinic using dramatic before/after shots and zoomed-in lips? That crosses into sensational content: likely rejected.

Political & Social Issues

This is the most sensitive area by far.

Anything touching on political advertising, social issues, controversial events, or newsworthy content goes through a layered review.

You need proper disclaimers, a verified business account status, and cannot use misleading practices or manipulate emotion.

Meta has strict content rules around these topics to avoid spreading misinformation or violating community guidelines.

Example: Promoting a petition tied to a heated election without labeling it as a political ad? That is a fast track to rejection, and possibly Business Page penalties if repeated.

This type of content may also fall under Meta's Special Ad Categories, which impose additional restrictions on audience targeting and require further disclosures. We’ll explain more about that below.

Meta Special Ad Categories with Additional Restrictions

Beyond restricted industries, Meta also designates specific ad categories that come with their own dedicated rules, and ignoring these can trigger enforcement even if your content seems harmless.

Housing, Employment & Credit

Meta requires advertisers to declare whether a campaign promotes housing, employment, or financial products and services. These are classified as Special Ad Categories and come with strict restrictions to prevent discriminatory targeting.

Declaration Requirement

Advertisers must declare the correct category during campaign setup. If using a saved audience, Meta will automatically update it to comply with Special Ad Category rules.

Targeting Limitations

• Age:
• Fixed to 18–65+ for most regions.
• Credit-related ads in Europe may allow alternate age ranges to comply with local regulations.
• Gender:
• You must include all genders. This option cannot be changed.
• Location:
• You can target users by country, region, county, town, or city, but not by ZIP or postcode.
• You also cannot exclude specific locations.
• Specific audience targeting includes a radius expansion:
• 15-mile (25 km) radius required in countries like the U.S.
• 10-mile (17 km) radius required in some European countries
• Detailed Targeting & Exclusions:
• Many demographic, interest, and behavior filters are unavailable.
• Excluding detailed targeting selections is not allowed.
• Audience Expansion Restrictions:
• Tools like Meta Advantage detailed targeting and lookalike audience expansion are unavailable.

Geographic Scope

These limitations apply to:

• Advertisers based in the U.S. or U.S. territories
• Advertisers targeting users in the U.S., Canada, and select European countries

These measures ensure that ads for housing, job opportunities, internships, mortgages, credit cards, and related services reach broad, inclusive audiences without unfair exclusion.

Implementation Timeline

Meta’s Special Ad Categories have been refined through several key updates:

• 2019: HUD Settlement & Launch: Facebook agreed to overhaul its ad-targeting system after a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development settlement, formally introducing Special Ad Categories for Housing, Employment, and Credit.
• June 2022: Expanded Enforcement: Meta tightened policies to eliminate potential discrimination, requiring all Housing, Employment, and Credit ads to use the new certification process and stripped out “special ad audiences”.
• October 2024: Financial Products & Services: Credit ads were broadened into a standalone “Financial Products and Services” category, covering banking, insurance, loans, investments, to close targeting loopholes.
• January 13, 2025: Pixel & CAPI Restrictions: Domains associated with implied Special Ad Category data saw pixels and Conversions API integrations blocked, ensuring tracking restrictions apply at the domain level.

Transparency & Data Privacy Updates

Meta has made major shifts in how advertisers track performance and handle user data. These changes affect everything from your campaign setup to long-term compliance.

Automatic UTM Tagging

Meta now applies automatic UTM tagging to outbound ad links by default.

This helps advertisers better understand performance in tools like Google Analytics, but it also gives Meta more visibility into ad traffic.

While this can improve attribution, it comes with risks.

If your actual destination differs from what users expect, or if your UTM parameters are manipulated to game results, your ad could be flagged for deceptive practices.

Data-Sharing Restrictions

Increased pressure from regulators has pushed Meta to tighten its data and privacy requirements.

There are new limitations on how advertisers can use Pixel data, retarget users, or sync data with CRMs.

Custom audience setups must now be clearly disclosed, and consent protocols need to align with local laws, especially across the EU and U.S. markets.

Advertisers must also avoid unsafe practices like collecting sensitive info (health, income, political views) without user consent.

If Meta suspects shady targeting, the ad might trigger a policy specialist review or be blocked entirely.

AI-Driven Enforcement & Policy Changes

Meta’s enforcement has grown more automated and nuanced, fueled by advanced machine learning and collaborative moderation tools.

Here’s what’s new, and why it matters to you:

Automation-First Moderation

Meta has doubled down on machine-driven enforcement, using advanced AI models to scan every ad before it goes live and catch policy violations at scale.

Mark Zuckerberg described a vision where Meta’s AI handles the entire advertising process end-to-end, from creative generation to campaign optimization, minimizing manual steps for advertisers.

The new Meta Andromeda engine, part of the Advantage+ suite, automatically evaluates ad content quality and can boost relevance scores by up to 8% while blocking disallowed content.

Community Notes vs. Fact-Checking

As mentioned before, Meta expanded its “Community Notes” program to ads, allowing trusted users to add context or challenge claims directly.

This crowdsourced moderation complements (and sometimes competes with) Meta’s own internal independent fact-checkers.

While traditional fact-checking involves in-depth research from professionals, “Community Notes” depend on consensus from verified contributors.

Ad Formats and Placement Updates

Meta introduced new formats and streamlined campaign structures, making it easier for brands to reach users effectively:

Threads Video Ads & Creator Collabs

Meta announced that video ads are now natively supported in Threads, autoplaying between posts in users’ feeds and expanding to full-screen when tapped to drive deeper engagement.

These Threads Video Ads support both 16:9 and vertical aspect ratios, ensuring you can repurpose existing Facebook and Instagram assets or craft new, immersive clips.

Alongside video placements, Meta introduced enhanced Creator Collabs within its Partnership Ads Hub, allowing brands to partner directly with influencers for co-branded content and shared attribution.

This integration streamlines influencer workflows, offering pre-built templates and performance insights so you can launch creator-led campaigns without bouncing between platforms.

Pro tip: To make the most of Threads Video Ads and Creator Collabs, partner with experienced influencers who resonate with your audience. Check out our Top Influencer Marketing Agencies guide to connect with experts who can amplify your campaigns.

Why Your Meta Ads Can Get Rejected

Let’s summarise: If your ad gets rejected, it’s usually not a mystery, it’s just Meta doing what Meta does.

Here's what can trigger a takedown:

❌You're using restricted language without disclosures. Words like “guaranteed,” “instant,” or “best rates” can flag ads in health, finance, or employment categories unless you’ve got the right approvals and disclaimers baked in.

❌Your creative includes content Meta doesn’t like. That could be zoomed-in body parts, aggressive before/after visuals, or anything that could be interpreted as sensational or manipulative, even if your offer is legit.

❌Your targeting breaks special category rules. Forget using detailed demographic filters on credit, job, or housing ads. Meta auto-flags campaigns that look like they’re narrowing audiences in a way that feels exclusionary.

❌Your landing page doesn’t match the ad. If you promise one thing in your creative but deliver something else (like gating the offer behind an email wall or redirecting traffic), the system sees that as deceptive.

❌You’re promoting something Meta restricts by region. Even if something is legal where you are, Meta checks against local laws. Ads for supplements, financial tools, or even alcohol can get blocked based on where your audience lives.

❌You're running ads too fast after edits. Constant changes to copy, image, or audience can trigger multiple reviews. Wait for one approval cycle to finish before tweaking again to avoid being flagged for suspicious behavior.

❌You’ve got history. If your account has racked up frequent violations, your ads are more likely to go under the microscope, even if the current one is technically fine.

The next step is making sure your campaigns stay clean from the start:

Best Practices for Meta Ads Compliance

Avoiding rejections is one thing, building campaigns that run smoothly, scale cleanly, and never hit compliance snags is another.

Follow these tips to keep campaigns running smoothly without compliance headaches:

1. Do regular policy checks: Meta updates policies frequently. Have someone on your team do a monthly skim of Meta’s ad guidelines or set alerts for significant updates so you don’t get blindsided.
2. Pre-flight compliance audits: Before hitting publish, have a quick internal review step, especially if ads involve sensitive categories like finance, health, or politics. Two sets of eyes are always better than one.
3. Clear, consistent landing pages: Make sure your landing page experience matches exactly what the ad promises. Clear messaging and transparent offers prevent Meta’s systems from suspecting deceptive tactics.
4. Document your approvals: If your product requires certification, licenses, or pre-approval (like healthcare products or financial services), keep that paperwork organized and ready to submit quickly if Meta requests proof.
5. Maintain positive account health: Regularly check your account's quality metrics in Business Manager. Keeping your quality scores high helps your ads go live quicker, reduces manual review delays, and prevents costly restrictions.
6. Minimize friction for reviewers: Ads that are easy to interpret pass reviews faster. Avoid overly complex or ambiguous language, and make sure visual elements clearly support the ad’s main message.
7. Proactive audience management: Regularly refresh your custom audiences and verify targeting accuracy. Outdated or improperly sourced data can trigger unexpected ad disapprovals or policy warnings.

Keep Your Ads Compliant and Your Campaigns On Track

By now, you’ve got a clear idea of Meta’s ad policies for 2025: what’s allowed, what’s risky, and what’s strictly off-limits.

From navigating sensitive content and special ad categories to understanding how automated moderation and “Community Notes” affect your ads, you’re now equipped to keep your campaigns running clean and compliant.

Staying ahead of policy shifts might seem tedious, but it’s what sets successful advertisers apart on Meta.

The better you understand the rules, the less drama you'll face with rejections, account issues, or compliance headaches, and the more energy you can focus on growing your business.

P.S. If you want hands-on help with Instagram advertising that goes beyond policy checklists, explore our Top Instagram Marketing Agencies for expert support. These teams know how to keep your ads compliant and performing at the highest level.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Meta's advertising policies?

Meta’s advertising rules define what’s acceptable across all its platforms. They cover everything from ad content and targeting to user data practices. The policies are designed to ensure high-quality, respectful advertising experiences.

What is not allowed in Meta ads?

Anything falling under unacceptable content is strictly prohibited. This includes scams, violent or sexual content, hate speech, and misleading claims. Even borderline cases can get flagged under strict enforcement filters.

What are the rules for posting ads on Facebook?

All ads must comply with Meta’s advertising policy principles, including honest messaging, proper targeting, and alignment with community guidelines. Some formats like video ads also come with specific creative restrictions.

Why is my Meta account restricted from advertising?

Account restrictions are often due to frequent violations, suspicious activity, or low-quality ad behavior. You can check the Business Help Center to appeal or understand your account status.

What is the future of Meta advertising?

Meta is pushing toward AI-led automation, adversarial network detection, and real-time content enforcement. Expect more streamlined tools, but also tougher restrictions on advertising ability in sensitive categories.

What is the 3-2-2 method of Facebook ads?

The 3-2-2 method is a Facebook ad testing strategy used to quickly identify high-performing creatives. It involves running 3 different ad creatives, each with 2 variations of primary text and 2 headline variations. This results in multiple ad combinations (typically 12) that help you test which messages and visuals perform best without wasting budget on fully built-out campaigns too early.

How does Meta advertising work?

Advertisers use Business Settings to define goals, audiences, and creatives. Meta’s delivery system then finds the best placements, whether in Feed, Stories, or Messenger and Threads, to optimize for engagement.

What are Meta’s Special Ad Categories?

These include Housing, Employment, and Credit. Each has targeting limitations and disclosure requirements. If your ad touches social issues, political topics, or sensitive demographics, it likely falls into this category.