While allowing its creators and publishers to monetise their content, Facebook wants to make sure that advertisers feel comfortable knowing what kind of content their ads are appearing with. That’s why it introduced monetisation eligibility standards last week. 

Facebook wants to support its creators and publishers, no matter how diverse they are, by giving them ways to monetise their content. Whether that’s through Branded Content, Instant Articles, and more recently Ad Breaks, Facebook allows them to connect with fans and earn money in the process. As monetisation options grow and increase in number, Facebook sees the need  to have a set of clear guidelines around what can and what can’t be monetised. Here’s where the new eligibility standards come into the picture.

In a recent blog post, Nick Grudin, VP of Media Partnerships at Facebook announced that the company was introducing monetisation eligibility standards for the first time, so that its over 5 million advertisers on the platform can “feel confident and in control over where their ads appear.” As Grudin explains,

These standards provide clearer guidance around the types of publishers and creators that are eligible to earn money on Facebook, along with guidelines on the kind of content that can be monetized.

He also explained that these are similar standards to those for publishers monetising their own sites and apps through the Audience Network. With the new standards, Facebook‘s goal is to make sure that those who are violating intellectual property, authenticity, and user safety policies, or conducting fraudulent activities, will be ineligible to monetise their content. For one, “creators and publishers must have an authentic, established presence on Facebook” they must be who they claim to be, and have a Page on Facebook for at least 30 days. Ad Breaks may require a “sufficient follower base” as well.

Publishers who repeatedly violate “Content Guidelines for Monetization, share clickbait or sensationalism, or post misinformation and false news” may also lose their eligibility. Guidelines include more detail about what advertisers would consider to be sensitive or not and they apply to Facebook videos for now. Over time, they will also apply to Instant Articles as well.

Of course, keeping on the right side of the guidelines doesn’t necessarily mean that content will be monetised effectively. Brands can also choose to use brand safety controls to customise the presence of their ads.