Signal tried to run a very honest ad campaign on Instagram. Facebook said no.

Instead, Signal's ad account on the platform got banned.
By Stan Schroeder  on 
Signal tried to run a very honest ad campaign on Instagram. Facebook said no.

Privacy-oriented messaging app Signal tried to run a very candid ad campaign on Facebook-owned Instagram, but it wasn't meant to be.

Signal explained how it went down in a blog post Tuesday. The idea was to post ads on Instagram which use the data an online advertiser may have collected about users, and basically show the user what that data might be for them.

"You got this ad because you're a teacher, but more importantly you're a Leo (and single). This ad used your location to see you're in Moscow. You like to support sketch comedy, and this ad thinks you do drag," one of the ads said. According to Signal, the ad "would simply display some of the information collected about the viewer which the advertising platform uses."

Mashable Image
That's...disconcerting. Credit: Signal

The fact that Facebook and similar companies collect your data isn't a secret. According to Signal, however "the full picture is hazy to most — dimly concealed within complex, opaquely-rendered systems and fine print designed to be scrolled past." In other words, you may have consented to this because you weren't bothered to investigate the details, but you may feel differently if you knew exactly what online advertisers know about you.

However, Facebook wasn't having it, and shut down both the campaign and Signal's ad account.

Signal shared no details of the communication between itself and Facebook. Signal CEO Moxie Marlinspike confirmed on Twitter that Signal's ad account on Instagram was shut down.

It's unclear which rule or guideline, exactly, Signal has breached in order to get banned. We've contacted Facebook to learn more about this and will update this post when we hear back.

Topics Instagram

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.


Recommended For You
Why do I feel lonely when I have friends?
person looking sad in the middle of a crowd of silhouettes

Bumble rethinking women 'making the first move'
bumble app with yellow background and MAKE THE FIRST MOVE text displayed on iphone in front of orange background

What is gooning?
eyes superimposed on hundreds of porn tabs

The best alternatives to Pornhub and XVideos
A black-and-white illustration of an eye with the 'Pornhub' logo reflected in it.

What happens when your favourite TikTok couple breaks up
broken red heart with man and woman in the halves moving in opposite directions

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 18
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.
Both Voyager spacecraft have entered interstellar space, billions of miles beyond Earth.

Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 18
a phone displaying Wordle

Webb telescope makes curious find in deep space: alcohol
An artist's conception of the James Webb Space Telescope orbiting in space, 1 million miles from Earth.

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!