Facebook Expands Advertising Tool For Local News
FACEBOOK – The billion dollar social media platform has implemented stricter rules around politcal advertising for the upcoming 2020 Presidential Elections.
This was followed by its previous misuse during past elections. However, its not certain if the changes would stop the abuse of the system.
The changes involve a stricter verification process. This requires individuals or groups who want to run ads about politics or the election to confirm their identity.
This identification process included proving that the ad runner is from the U.S. They could do this by using their org or group’s tax identification number, as well as government ID.
Once the group has been verified, their name will be listed on the “paid for by” disclaimer. With this, Facebook said that they will verify this information versus government records.
Afterwards they would note this in the disclaimer for confirmed ads. This would ensure that the ads are put up by “confirmed organizations”.
Although, Facebook has mentioned that this process would not apply to everyone. The company said the process could possibly prevent smaller but legitimate groups from putting ads.
However, the company realized that loopholes for grassroots and local politicians could be abused. That is why further implementation would still be needed.
Advertisers who lack tax ID, govt. websites, or registrations with the Federal Elections Commission could still post ads if they provide the following:
- Valid Address
- Verifiable phone number
- Business email
- Website
But, these advertisers won’t receive the “confirmed” designation. Although, previously only a U.S. address was required.
According to Inquirer USA, Sarah Schiff, a Facebook Product Manager said in an email that they have acknowledged that the tools will not be perfect.
She then added that they are still committed to ensuring it would be difficult for people to abuse their platform. She then said that smaller organizations would not be penalized with the process.
Thanks for reading. We aim to provide our readers with the freshest and most in-demand content. Come back next time for the latest news here on Philnews.
Like this article? READ ALSO: Facebook Collaborates With Microsoft To Spot “Deepfake” Videos
