When asked for comment, Facebook pointed to its earlier news post, which only made reference to "certain types" of ads going through human reviews. It didn't touch on the specific content or the expected delays.

It's not shocking that Facebook would limit manual reviews to more sensitive subjects, but the requirement for reviews covering a wide range of subjects is notable. It's a more direct acknowledgment that the company's previous reliance on automated screening let shady ads slip through the cracks, and that manual inspection might be necessary to catch people trying to game the system. And simply speaking, this could represent a survival tactic. Facebook knows it's under government scrutiny for Russia-linked ads, and it may have decided that voluntarily slowing down its ad system was better than risking government intervention.