Facebook said it will no longer let advertisers reach users who have said they are interested in anti-Semitic topics, including "how to burn Jews," or called themselves "Jew haters," ProPublica reports.
Facebook said the categories were created by an algorithm, not employees, so they are generated automatically based on information users share with Facebook and their interests. ProPublica, acting on a tip, decided to test the system, and spent $30 on promoted posts using categories like "Nazi Party," "Jew hater," and "Hitler did nothing wrong." After selecting their audience, ProPublica submitted their ad, promoting an unrelated ProPublica article, and it was approved by Facebook within 15 minutes.
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