The main rule sets
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Platform rules | Community standards and promotion terms |
| Ad policies | What ads can show, claim and target |
| FTC disclosures | Paid, gifted or employee endorsements |
| Privacy laws | Customer data, children and health information |
| Copyright | Music, photos and other people's content |
Disclosures done right
The FTC says to disclose any paid, gifted, employment or family tie in the post itself, in plain words. Employees who post about the business should say they work there. Listing an employer on a profile is not enough. Platform tools like paid partnership labels help, but the FTC warns they may not be enough alone.
Restricted industries
- Housing, jobs and financial ads have limited targeting on Meta.
- Health businesses must protect patient information under HIPAA.
- Alcohol, gambling and some health products face extra ad rules.
- Political and social issue ads need advertiser authorization first.
Build a simple routine
- CheckConfirm claims are true and provable.
- PermissionConfirm rights to photos, music and quotes.
- DiscloseAdd clear disclosures where needed.
- ReviewRun ads against the platform's policy.
Good example. A mortgage broker selects the right special ad category, avoids age targeting and keeps claims consistent with its licensing.
Bad example. A broker targets ads by age and ZIP code and promises "guaranteed approval." Meta rejects the ads, and the claim invites legal trouble.
Read privacy issues in social media marketing. Our social media marketing checks compliance before posting.