Facebook gives advertisers greater control over placement Will be able to block where they don't want to appear

9 August 2007 10:10 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Facebook has announced that advertisers will now be able to opt of advertising on parts of social networking site following a wave of companies pulling adverts from the website.

According to Facebook, advertisers will be able to avoid appearing next to listings for some of the estimated 6 million user groups on its website.

The blocking feature will attempt to address marketers’ concerns about the unpredictable and relatively uncensored nature of some of the fast-growing site’s content.

“Ultimately, Brands have always had the choice between high-quality controlled media, and much cheaper, riskier space. Facebook’s move to better manage their advertising is to win back advertisers. However, brands need to accept that demanding low priced media simply displaces costs elsewhere; in recent examples advertisers have traded their brand value for cheap advertising”, Jon Walsh, Sales Director at Monetise told Pocket-lint.

The move comes after Vodafone and First Direct pulled their adverts from Facebook after being informed that adverts were being shown near British National Party's (the controversial, racist "political party") Facebook content.

Vodafone and First Direct "bundle" buy advertising space across a range of websites and have no control over what content the ads appear in conjunction with.