Facebook said Wednesday it is tightening its rules for groups and individuals who seek to run advertisements on the platform about social issues or politics, a move that comes as the social media giant prepares for the upcoming 2020 presidential election.
Under the requirements, which will take effect in mid-September, advertisers have to show they are registered with the U.S. government before receiving approval for a “paid for by” disclaimer that must be displayed on all ads.
Entities can submit to Facebook their tax-registered organization identification number, a government website domain that matches a .gov or .mil email address, or Federal Election Commission identification number. Small businesses or local politicians who may not have that documentation can submit a verifiable phone number or business email that matches the business website.
Advertisers have to provide Facebook with this information by mid-October or have their ads halted.
“While our efforts to protect elections are ongoing and won’t be perfect, they will make it harder for advertisers to obscure who is behind ads and will provide greater transparency for people,” said Katie Harbath, Facebook’s public policy director for global elections, and Sarah Schiff, a product manager, in a blog post.
The rules are an added layer to safeguards Facebook put in place last year after it faced criticism for its role in Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Russian actors purchased ads and created pages on the site to sow discord among U.S. voters. Under the first set of restrictions, groups or individuals are required to receive authorization before running advocacy ads and identify who is behind the postings. Ads also have to include the “paid for by” disclaimer.
“People should know who is trying to influence their vote and advertisers shouldn’t be able to cover up who is paying for ads,” Harbath and Schiff said. “That’s why over the past few years we’ve made important changes to ensure more transparency and authenticity in ads about social issues, elections or politics.”
Facebook also intends to roll out additional efforts aimed at securing elections and improving transparency on ads, including by making it easier to track and compare spending from U.S. presidential campaigns.
The Menlo Park, California-based company has attempted to combat election interference and the proliferation of disinformation on the platform, including by launching an ad library that lets users browse political ads. But Facebook said it cannot “tackle these challenges alone” and believes government regulation is needed.
The additional layer of verification required for Facebook advertisers comes as the 2020 presidential race heats up. 2020 hopefuls have pumped millions of dollars into Facebook ads, with Trump’s reelection campaign outspending his Democratic challengers so far this year.
That platform has been a go-to for Democratic presidential candidates seeking to boost their donors to meet the threshold to appear on stage in the next Democratic presidential debates. But the surge in demand from the campaigns has driven up the prices of ads for advocacy groups and local campaigns competing for the same advertising space, according to the Wall Street Journal.
