Get access
To help ensure a fair and independent application process, Meta has partnered with the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan to assess researcher qualifications and review submissions from global applicants to Meta Ad Targeting dataset. Approved applicants will access the Ad Targeting dataset on Meta Researcher Platform.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for access, applicants must be affiliated with a qualified academic institution or a qualified research institution. Individuals from different disciplinary and professional backgrounds are welcome to apply.
For academic institutions, qualified means the institution meets all of these criteria:
- Dedicated to the pursuit of education and research.
- Accredited, as indicated by recognized standards and evidence on the institution website (such as a university) or verified by documentation provided to ICPSR.
- Qualified to grant academic degrees (such as undergraduate, graduate, doctoral).
- A not-for-profit endeavor (not a business with the sole purpose of making a profit).
For research institutions, qualified means that the institution meets all of these criteria:
- A non-university organization, institute, society or entity.
- Not-for-profit institution.
- Institution dedicated to scientific or public interest research.
Application and access process
Step 1: Review the application requirements and submit an application.
You can find an overview of the application process and data tools on ICPSR’s Social Media Archive (SOMAR). We also encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Ad Targeting application page and the ICPSR application guide before applying.
Step 2: Fulfill additional data access requirements.
Each individual who will access the dataset on Meta’s Researcher Platform must accept a clickthrough agreement for the Product Terms. If the clickthrough agreement is not appropriate for your institution (e.g., if your institution does not allow employees to consent to click-through Product Terms), Meta offers the option for the institution to sign an Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) to govern access at an institution level. The executed ISA can apply to various research agendas; however, a new application for each new research proposal must be submitted. For more information, please reference the application guide.
Meta will provide each approved individual with additional information on how to access the Ad Targeting dataset and onboard to the Researcher Platform.
Step 3: Gain access.
Access to the Ad Targeting dataset will be provisioned after all access requirements are fulfilled. To continue accessing the tools, you must recertify your institution affiliation and research agenda with ICPSR on an annual basis.
Frequently asked questions about access, eligibility, and publication
Are global applicants eligible for access to Ad Targeting dataset?
We welcome global users, but access to or use of our tools and data must comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. In addition, the applicant, and any academic university or institution with which the applicant is affiliated, must not be in a jurisdiction that is the target of sanctions imposed by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union or United Nations.
Is payment required to access the Ad Targeting dataset?
No, there are no fees associated with access or computation.
What if my research agenda changes? Is a new application required?
If any substantive changes were made to a research agenda since having an application approved by ICPSR, a new application must be submitted.
Do global applicants affiliated with institutions not in the United States still need to apply through ICPSR?
Yes, all Ad Targeting dataset applications are processed and reviewed by ICPSR.
How does the application and access process work for users who collaborate or are part of a larger research team?
ICPSR processes and reviews applications from teams of individuals with clearly identified research leads and collaborators. For more information, see the ICPSR application page.
Does Meta place any restrictions on publishing with data from the Ad Targeting dataset?
Research Outputs (such as tables, graphs, and analysis) may be published, but no Confidential Information or Personal Data. For publications based solely on the Ad Targeting dataset, Meta will not ask to review research manuscripts prior to publication. However, we ask that individuals follow the Meta attribution guidelines (see Citations) and provide notice upon publishing.
Please refer to the Product Terms for Meta Research Tools for the requirements and conditions related to publication.