About

Welcome to the Social Media Lab’s Migration Ad Observatory, a research and transparency platform that collects, categorizes, and analyzes advertisements related to migration on Facebook and Instagram, making it easier to see how online ads shape conversations about immigrants and immigration. This project was developed as part of the Bridging Divides research initiative, funded in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF).

Using publicly available data from Meta’s Ad Library API, the Observatory applies state-of-the-art large language models to classify ads into communication frames commonly used in discussions of immigration, such as economic impact, humanitarian concerns, and security threats.

These frames are the interpretive lens through which information is organized and presented, emphasizing certain aspects of an issue while downplaying others, shaping how audiences understand and evaluate it. The frames used by the Observatory draw on prior academic literature on the portrayal of immigrants and immigration policies in the media, as well as our extensive research, to refine and apply them to understand immigrants and immigration discourse across social media platforms. The current frame classification in the Observatory is based on the codebook of common pro- and anti-immigration frames as systematically identified, analyzed, and defined in Hollingshead, W., Gruzd, A., & Mai, P. (2026) and Gruzd, A., Mai, P., & Taleb, O. (2024).

Designed for researchers, journalists, policymakers, and civil society organizations, the Observatory provides a platform to analyze migration-related advertising and the narratives shaping public debate. By surfacing narrative patterns, reach, and spending data through transparent, reproducible metrics, the Observatory enables its audiences to investigate which frames are being amplified, by whom, and at what cost.

The data for Migration Ad Observatory is sourced from the Meta Ads Library API and is collected using a custom script developed by the Lab. Once collected, we process the data using Machine Learning techniques as well as traditional data analysis methods before displaying the analytics on the Observatory.

In preparing this website, the Social Media Lab team utilized various Artificial Intelligence tools, including but not limited to Grammarly, GitHub Copilot, and ChatGPT, to assist with content ideation, drafting, proofreading, refinement, and aspects of website design and software development. These tools supported both written content creation and portions of the coding process to improve efficiency, clarity, functionality, and overall user experience. Following the use of these tools, all generated content and code were reviewed, tested, and edited by the team to ensure accuracy and alignment with the project’s objectives and standards.

The Social Media Lab is an interdisciplinary research center at the Ted Rogers School of Management, part of Toronto Metropolitan University. The lab examines how social media and digital technologies are transforming the way people and organizations communicate, share information, conduct business, and foster communities. It also examines the broader impact of these shifts on society. Through its research, the lab aims to help the public better understand both the benefits and potential downsides of adopting new technologies with a focus on combating and managing the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

The Lab was established in 2010 and is the first of its kind in North America. It is led by co-directors Anatoliy Gruzd (PhD) and Philip Mai (JD). The Lab is internationally recognized and attracts a diverse range of outstanding multidisciplinary scholars from around the world each year. It is a leader in social media studies and is the founder of the International Conference on Social Media and Society (#SMSociety).

In addition to conducting original empirical research and producing public reports around matters of public interest, the Social Media Lab also develops research apps, tools, and information dashboards to support social science research on online participation. Some of the Lab’s research tools, such as Communalytic and Netlytic.org (Superseded), PoliDashboard.org, NoteTracker.socialmediadata.org, DeepfakesTracker.org and ConflictMisinfo.org are used by thousands of students, educators, researchers, analysts and journalists worldwide each year.