Ban Hasn't Stopped COVID-19 Instagram Ads

Adverts and listings that capitalize on the COVID-19 outbreak are appearing on Instagram and Facebook despite being banned.

On March 6, Facebook and Instagram announced a temporary ban on ads and listings selling medical face masks on its marketplace. On March 19, Rob Leathern, head of trust and integrity for Facebook ads and business platform, extended the ban to include hand sanitizers, coronavirus testing kits, disinfecting wipes, and several other products.

Tenable's Satnam Narang has observed a growing number of adverts for COVID-19 essentials since the ban was issued.

"Despite the ban, advertisements continue to appear on Facebook and Instagram, some as recently as March 26," said Narang. 

"I began observing an uptick in activity in my Instagram Feed on Friday, March 20. All of a sudden, every single sponsored post in my Instagram Feed had something to do with masks, whether it be N95 masks, surgical masks or face shields."

Advertisers have carefully moderated the language they use in their ads in a slippery attempt to get around the ban.

"Many of the advertisements don’t overtly reference COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus that causes it in their posts," said Narang. "They do, however, talk about protecting oneself from 'harmful particles' and how to 'stay protected at all times' while referencing N95 masks or harmful viruses and bacteria, implying a connection to COVID-19."

Narang observed carefully worded ads appear ..

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