Facebook targets ‘gay cure’ adverts at LGBT people

Social network removes the posts after investigation by the Telegraph exposes a flaw in its algorithm

FACEBOOK has been targeting young LGBT people with “predatory” advertisements for a “gay cure”, a Telegraph investigation has found.

The social media company has re- moved the posts after The Sunday Telegraph exposed a flaw with its micro-targeting algorithm.

LGBT users complained they were confronted with adverts promoting “sexual purity” and conversion therapy for gay and lesbian people because of the pages they have shown an interest in. When users clicked on the “why am I seeing this ad” button on the advert it said Facebook had noticed they were interested in “gender issues.”

Companies are able to direct their adverts at Facebook users who are most likely to be interested in their product. Two gay conversion adverts The Telegraph reported to Facebook were pushed to people who were likely to be young and LGBT.

Charities accused Facebook of preying on members of vulnerable communities and urged it to tighten its regulation on micro-targeting.

One lesbian woman was shown a video entitled “Homosexuality Was My Identity”, aimed at promoting “harmful” conversion therapy, because she had “liked” LGBT pages on Facebook.

Tessa Ann Schwarz complained to the company, saying that the video was “really upsetting”, and said: “I don’t know why Facebook has permitted this group to target LGBTQ people who have intentionally sought out community and education amongst peers, for shaming and hatred masked as love.”

An advert for a book called “Help for men with same-sex attraction” by an evangelical conversion therapist, which Facebook has now removed, was promoted to young people in the UK interested in gender issues.

Alistair Ryder, a gay man, said he was “shaken” when he saw it, telling The Telegraph: “There was nothing overtly homophobic about it, but it was written in a way to try to appeal to people who may be depressed due to their sexuality. It’s irresponsible for Facebook to allow an advert that preys on gay men with mental health issues in a negative way.”

Paul Twocock, director of campaigns, policy and research at Stonewall told The Sunday Telegraph: “This content is offensive and an insidious attempt to undermine the self-esteem of LGBT people seeing this material. There’s evidence of the damage conversion therapy does to LGBT people’s health and wellbeing, and the Government are committed to eradicating it in the UK. We urge Facebook to take swift action.”

Facebook’s advertising policies state: “Adverts must not engage in predatory advertising practices or contain content that discriminates against, harasses, provokes or disparages people.”

A Facebook spokesman said: “We have rejected these ads and they are no longer running on Facebook.”