Why This Happens
Meta requires ads related to Housing, Employment, or Credit (HEC) to be marked as Special Ad Categories. These ads face additional restrictions: no age, gender, or ZIP code targeting; limited interest targeting; and minimum 15-mile radius for location targeting. Failure to declare HEC status or using restricted targeting in HEC ads triggers immediate ad rejection and can lead to account restriction. This is a zero-tolerance policy due to anti-discrimination laws.
Example Notification
"Your Meta Ads account has been restricted due to special ad category (housing/employment/credit) violation concerns."
Compliance Steps
Determine if your ads fall under Special Ad Categories
Update all HEC campaigns for compliance
Appeal if account was restricted
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