New AI Service Will Keep Ads Away From Inappropriate Posts; Hakuhodo Aims to Strengthen Safety of Digital Ads

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:52 JST, January 7, 2026

A new service has been launched that will use artificial intelligence to identify inappropriate posts on social networking sites, such as those including sexual or violent content, and prevent digital ads from being displayed with them.

The service was launched by Hakuhodo Inc. and U.S.-based Meta Platforms Inc., and will be introduced on the Facebook and Instagram social networking sites operated by Meta.

It will target ads that appear before and after posts, to prevent people from being misled into thinking that the advertisers are associated with inappropriate content.

Technology from DoubleVerify Inc., a U.S. company that uses AI to analyze text and images, will be used. It will also be possible to use the service to distribute ads during time periods when the cost of posting ads is lower.

Hakuhodo has provided a similar service since 2024 for video advertising on YouTube, operated by Google LLC, and it is used by more than 30 companies, including major beverage manufacturers.

With this latest effort, the company will strengthen the safety of ad distribution on social networking sites.

The digital advertising market continues to expand with the spread of smartphones. According to Dentsu Inc., domestic digital ad expenditures in 2024 totaled ¥3.65 trillion, accounting for 47.6% of total advertising expenditures, including newspapers and television.

However, it is difficult for advertisers to grasp how digital advertising is actually being distributed. Users’ posts can include sexual and violent content, as well as false information and unscrupulous material that can lead to fraudulent activities.

Platforms such as Meta and Google are working on countermeasures, but they have not been able to completely eliminate such content.

In response to this situation, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry released guidelines for advertisers last June, urging them to take measures such as monitoring and verifying the destinations of digital ads and creating a list of sites where they do not want their ads to be posted.