Social networking site, Facebook has announced that it will not allow advertisers to target its users under the age of 18 based on their interests and activities on other sites.

The restriction will affect all Facebook affiliate Apps and sites including Instagram and Facebook Messenger.

However, the new policy still allows targeting of teens but only based on age, gender and location.

According to Facebook, cutoff ages may be different depending on the country as the new policy is meant to begin in a few weeks’ time.

While announcing the new policy, Facebook said it already offers a way that its users can communicate their wishes in terms of the ads they do not want to see based on their interests or activities on other sites and apps that lies in the ad settings.

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Facebook also said it is taking more precautions to caution young people who are ill-equipped to customize the ads they see.

The new policy is a win for advocacy groups who held the opinion that targeting teenagers poses a potential danger.

Regardless of that, Facebook said it was still intent on creating Instagram for kids.

Facebook has been asked to shelve the idea by Attorneys general from 40 American states but Facebook maintains the idea would offer more control to parents over the activities of their kids.