Meta baby ads are like 'a cot in your front room'

Labour MP and newly appointed government maternity adviser Michelle Welsh has written to Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) urging the company to meet bereaved families after a BBC investigation found users who suffered miscarriages or stillbirths continued to be shown baby and maternity adverts. The letter (dated 26 May) is backed by charities and medical bodies and highlights reputational and political risk for Meta, with calls for easier opt-outs and accountability. Meta acknowledged shortcomings in ad delivery and said it is improving its systems. The story increases regulatory and public-relations pressure on Meta, potentially weighing on user trust and prompting operational changes to ad-targeting systems — a reputational headwind that could translate into costs or tighter oversight.