A country group is speaking out against Facebook, after the social media platform did not permit the band to promote its song “I Stand for the Flag” on the social media site, a new report says.
The Wes Cook Band released a video for the song on Tuesday and submitted a request using Facebook’s paid promotion tools to promote the content. Although it was initially approved, Facebook then declined the request due to the video’s “political content,” Fox News reports.
In response, the band has argued that “patriotism is not political” and pointed to song lyrics that say, “You ain’t gotta pick a side, you can love your fellow man and still have pride.”
“Our song bleeds unity and love of country. It doesn’t see race, color, religion, or political affiliation,” lead singer Wes Cook said in a statement to Fox News. “‘I Stand for the Flag’ means I am thankful for the freedoms and opportunities this country gives all citizens, and shows how dependent we all are on each other for the success of our American Dream. I believe patriotism is not political.”
Facebook is investigating the incident, per Fox News.
The social media platform later said that the ad did not require a “paid for” label as part of a new policy.
“We recently announced anyone running ads about political or other major national issues must include a ‘paid for’ label,” a Facebook spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “After looking again, we determined that this ad would not need that label. While this is a new policy, and while we won’t ever be perfect, we think knowing who is behind an ad is important, and we’ll continue to work on improving as we roll it out.”
The episode comes as Facebook is under fire for how it has managed its advertising network. The social media platform faced backlash recently after it accidentally denied nonpolitical ads from restaurants and hair salons.
[Opinion: Facebook’s Honest Ads Act is a way of evading the real issue]
