The updates are intended to help advertisers manage the placement and context in which their ads are delivered.

Facebook has launched a new set of tools to bring transparency and brand security to the forefront following waves of criticism for its political ad policies. These include:

Streamlining command exposure. Now, advertisers will be able to create blocklists in the Business Manager and Ads Manager, obtain delivery reports, and set up account-level inventory filters, rather than applying it one campaign at a time.

Better records of distribution. The more comprehensive documents require marketers to scan without having to download it by account ID or author. Facebook said the delivery document would soon be followed by content-level information.

New security collaborator for the consumer. Contextual data company Zefr is the newest protection partner for Facebook, joining DoubleVerify, Integral Ad Science, and OpenSlate to help ensure that brand security controls and resources can continue to serve the needs of marketers.

Complex collections of material. To marketers partnering with Integral Ad Science, OpenSlate, and Zefr, Facebook is exploring in-stream placements using a content-level white listing method. This initial test enables brands to update and adjust the videos available to advertisers on a regular basis based on what works best for the brand.

Grey lists author. The organization said it is now experimenting in the Audience Network and with in-stream advertising white lists of marketers, enabling advertisers to white-list other ad placement publishers. Facebook said next year it is planning to roll out the platform more generally.

Why should we be cautious. Facebook also raised concerns about its choice not to review political advertisements as well as the material and news sources that will feature in the news section it is evaluating. The new set of product security tools is an effort to provide advertisers with additional controls on how, when and in which publisher their advertisements that appear in the in-stream and Instant Articles on Facebook  or through the network of the audience. These controls add to earlier initiatives on brand security.