WASHINGTON — Facebook is temporarily banning advertisements for medical face masks as part of an effort to prevent use of its platform to exploit people's concerns about the new coronavirus.
Facebook said that the ban would cover advertisements on Facebook and commercial listings on Marketplace. It said it would begin enforcing the ban over the next few days.
Facebook noted that it had had earlier announced a ban on ads that made claims about the health benefits of a particular product or guaranteed that “a product will prevent someone from contracting” the disease.
Some public health officials have urged people to stop buying masks.
