Are you tired of seeing political ads on social media? You'll probably see more of them as the November 2024 election approaches. Instagram and Threads will no longer recommend political posts, while Instagram X has reinstated political ads in 2023 after banning them four years ago. Thankfully, there are ways to stop these types of ads from appearing in your feed.
You can turn off political ads on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) by either blocking them when you see them, or by blocking them through your account's ad settings. Here's how to do it:
Disable political ads on Facebook
Facebook allows you to hide all future political ads, not just individual ads. The steps are the same whether you use the Facebook app or the website, but the examples below use the app. If you see a political ad you don't want to see on your timeline, click the ellipsis icon in the top right-hand corner of the ad. From the list of options, Hide adsYou'll then be asked to provide a reason for hiding the ad.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/Facebook)
The next screen may suggest other steps you can take. When you're done, tap on it. endBut you can also use this opportunity to eliminate other ads from this source. To do this, Hide all ads Instead of the ad, you'll see a message saying this ad won't appear in your News Feed.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/Facebook)
There's another way to block all ads from the same source: tap the ellipsis icon in the top right-hand corner of the ad. Why am I seeing this ad? The next screen will explain why this ad appeared in your News Feed. To stop all such ads in the future, Hide all ads from this advertiser.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/Facebook)
If you don't want to see political ads, you can turn off all political ads. If you come across a political ad, Verified Organizations You can also tap the (i) icon that appears after the Verified Organization button disappears, or tap the text that indicates the ad is sponsored and paid for by a specific organization.
On the next screen, tap Show me fewer ads about this topic: Social issues, Elections, PoliticsTap the button to confirm the action. Show less ads on this topic.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/Facebook)
You can also turn off all political ads from your Ads Settings menu. Tap your profile picture in the Facebook app. Settings and Privacy > SettingsIn the section Meta Account Centertap Ad SettingsOn the Account Center screen, Ad SettingsSwipe down on the screen and tap See All Next to “Ad Topic” Viewing and Managing TopicsSwipe down the list until you see the Politics topic. Select it and tap it. Reduce the display.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/Facebook)
Disable political ads on Instagram
You can also hide individual ads on Instagram, political or otherwise. Tap the ellipsis icon in the top right-hand corner of the ad to hide it. Hide adsThe next screen will ask you why you don't want to see this ad. Select a reason and the ad will be hidden. Tap the ellipsis icon to Why am I seeing this ad?Select Hide all ads from this advertiser.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/Instagram)
To restrict all political ads, follow the same steps as Facebook: Tap your profile icon to access your account settings. Tap the hamburger icon. Account Center > Advertising SettingsSwipe down and tap the Ad Settings screen See All next to Ad TopicThen tap Viewing and Managing TopicsTap and swipe down the list until you see the Politics topic. Select it and tap Reduce the display.
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(Credit: Lance Whitney/Instagram)
Disable political ads on X (Twitter)
If you see an ad you don't want to see, tap the ellipsis icon block Tap and enter your account name. If a warning message appears, tap block Please try blocking again. To block these ads in the future, I'm not interested in this ad Optional. If you want to know why an ad appeared in your feed, Why this ad? The next screen will explain why you were shown the ad.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/X)
There are a few ways to limit your exposure to political ads: In the X mobile app, tap your profile icon Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Displayed Content > Topics. Browse Follow If you see a political topic that you don't want to follow, Continued Tap the button Unfollow.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/X)
next, Displayed content Tap the screen interest Entries. Swipe down the list and uncheck any politically-charged names or topics you don't want to see in your feed.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/X)
return Privacy and Safety Tap the screen Ad SettingsJust like Meta tracks your internet history, so does X. If you frequently search for political topics on and off X, the platform may show you more political ads. To prevent this from happening in the future, Personalized adsPlease note that if you turn this option off, you will see fewer ads based on your searches and other activity, as well as politics.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/X)
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