Meta has expanded its AI-driven content block list
optimisation solution to Threads, giving advertisers more control over where
their ads appear.

First launched in 2024 across Facebook and Instagram Feed
and Reels, Content Block Lists allow brands to automatically avoid placing ads
next to content they consider unsuitable, based on global industry standards
and their own custom preferences.

The control is now available through all four of Meta’s
existing brand safety and suitability partners: DoubleVerify, IAS, Scope3, and
Zefr. Meta is also expanding its partner ecosystem by onboarding two
new brand safety and suitability partners, Channel Factory and Protected by
Mediaocean, who will offer verification and control capabilities in the coming
months.

The move comes as Threads continues to grow rapidly, surpassing 400 million monthly active users globally in
2025. Key markets include India, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with strong
engagement also seen across Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, Singapore
and the Philippines.

Even as platforms emphasise how much content is deemed safe for
ads, concerns about what users actually see online are growing.

While Meta’s own brand safety
messaging says that
“more than 99% of content next to ads in Feed and Reels on Facebook and
Instagram is brand safe” over a recent 30‑day window, independent reports and
surveys paint a different picture. Industry and civil‑society research in 2025
flagged large increases in user‑reported exposure to harmful content (hate,
violent or sexual content), with survey results showing high shares of users
witnessing or experiencing such material – these studies argue prevalence is
materially higher than platform safety claims imply.

To bridge this trust gap, the rollout empowers advertisers
to work directly with their chosen third-party partners to determine which
specific categories they want to block. This third-party control can be layered
seamlessly on top of Meta’s first-party inventory filter or used entirely
independently.

At the centre of these optimisation solutions are advanced,
AI-driven technologies. For instance, IAS utilises its proprietary Multimedia
Understanding Model (MUM), which analyses images, audio, and text
frame-by-frame to assess content in detail. Similarly, partners like Zefr,
DoubleVerify, and Scope3 deploy advanced pre-bid protections and content-level
analysis to help advertisers steer clear of risky or inappropriate environments
while improving overall campaign performance.

“Our AI-driven, content-level analysis empowers advertisers
to drive performance and confidently scale their investments on social
platforms with trusted, third-party, independent solutions,” said Lisa
Utzschneider, CEO of IAS, reflecting a sentiment shared across the verification
sector as pre-bid tools deepen their integration with Meta.

The expansion builds on a collaborative ecosystem that began
in 2024 when Meta first selected independent providers to develop optimisation
solutions for its platforms. Since then, the suite of tools across Meta’s
ecosystem has matured into a comprehensive framework including content block
lists, contextual reporting, and independent brand safety measurement supported
in dozens of languages.

On Threads, advertisers can create customised block lists
tailored to their specific brand requirements, including more nuanced controls
for different risk levels. Once activated directly through their preferred
partner, these settings are applied automatically across Meta platforms, with
automated updates to keep up with the fast-moving nature of social content.

The rollout reflects a broader push across the industry to
integrate AI-driven brand safety and optimisation tools more deeply into social
platforms, as advertisers look for greater transparency and control.