Facebook tightens rules on political advertising ahead of 2020 US election
With just over a year to go before the U.S. presidential election, Facebook is tightening its rules on political advertising in the United States. Starting in mid-October, advertisers who wish to run such ads will be required to provide additional information to verify their identities.
This can be, for example, the tax number or the registration with the U.S. election authority. Facebook already stipulates that advertisements with political content must state who paid for it.
In some cases, however, advertisers had tried to provide misleading information about this, Facebook now explained. They already had to provide address, telephone number, e-mail address and website name.
Facebook had come under massive pressure to ensure more transparency in political advertising after the influence campaigns from Russia surrounding the 2016 US presidential election. At the time, the campaigns were aimed, among other things, at reinforcing the divisions in US society on issues such as gun ownership or racial tensions.
Campaigns from Russia
To this end, controversial posts were placed in users' news feeds as paid advertisements. Facebook and U.S. authorities consider it proven that the campaigns were conducted from Russia; the Russian government denies involvement.
"People should know who is trying to influence their vote, and advertisers shouldn't be able to hide who is paying for ads," Facebook stressed Wednesday.
The pressure on the social network to improve its transparency also affects legal election advertising by so-called PACs (Political Action Committees), where users can often hardly tell which lobby group is hiding behind them. (SDA)
