Meta is tightening its grip on health-related ads, and if you’re in the wellness industry in India, you need to pay attention. The last thing you want is to wake up and find your ad account restricted or, worse, completely shut down. Let’s break it down in plain language and figure out what you can do to stay compliant.
Why is Meta Cracking Down on Health Ads?
Meta wants to avoid legal trouble, especially when it comes to handling sensitive health data. Think of laws like HIPAA in the US or India’s upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act. Meta doesn’t want to be accused of collecting or misusing protected health information (PHI). That means if your ads or tracking suggest that a user has a medical condition, Meta sees it as a risk and may restrict your account.
The rules have always been strict for health ads, but now the restrictions are getting more structured. While health and wellness ads are not a Special Ad Category yet, they are being closely monitored.
What Can Get Your Account Restricted?
Here’s where things get tricky. Meta doesn’t want you sharing any data that could reveal a user’s health condition, directly or indirectly. That means:
- Tracking purchases of health-related products like supplements or hair loss treatments
- Sending sensitive data through Meta Pixel from patient portals or appointment booking pages
- Using language that suggests a person has a medical condition
Even if you’re running a completely legitimate business, you could still get flagged if you’re not careful with how you handle data.
Understanding Meta’s Three-Tier Restriction System
Meta has introduced a system to enforce these rules. If your account is flagged, here’s what could happen:
- Core Setup Restrictions
- No custom tracking parameters
- Issues with audience targeting and ad optimization
- Some reporting features may stop working
- Mid-Level Restrictions
- You can’t optimize for important events like purchases
- Ads can still run, but performance will suffer
- Full Restrictions
- No event tracking at all
- No bidding optimization
- You’re stuck with basic targeting and limited reporting
If you’re hit with full restrictions, your ad campaigns will struggle to perform, and your costs will likely shoot up.
How This Affects Indian Health & Wellness Brands
For brands operating in India, this could mean big challenges. Whether you’re selling Ayurvedic supplements, running a telemedicine platform, or offering fitness coaching, you need to be careful about how you structure your ads and tracking.
- DTC health brands: If you sell products like protein powders, hair care, or immunity boosters, avoid passing purchase data back to Meta.
- Hospitals and clinics: Do not place Meta Pixel on appointment booking or patient portals.
- Mental health professionals: Avoid ad copy that explicitly names mental health conditions.
- Fitness and wellness apps: Be mindful of how you track user behavior within the app.
What Can You Do to Stay Compliant?
- Audit Your Meta Pixel Implementation
- Check where you’ve placed Meta Pixel and remove it from sensitive pages.
- Avoid sending health-related purchase data to Meta.
- Use Coded Event Names
- Instead of tracking a “Hair Loss Treatment Purchase,” track a generic “Product Purchase.”
- This helps you optimize without triggering restrictions.
- Review Your Ad Copy and Landing Pages
- Don’t mention specific diseases or conditions.
- Focus on benefits rather than problems (e.g., “Boost your energy levels” instead of “Struggling with chronic fatigue?”).
- Diversify Your Marketing Channels
- If Meta tightens the rules further, relying solely on Facebook and Instagram ads could be risky.
- Explore Google Ads, YouTube, Pinterest, and native advertising to reduce dependency.
Final Thoughts
Meta’s new restrictions are here to stay, and Indian health brands need to adapt fast. If you’re already seeing warning notifications in your Meta Events Manager, take action now. Audit your tracking, clean up your ad copy, and rethink your data-sharing strategy. The brands that adjust quickly will be the ones that continue to thrive.
