Facebook to ban political ads on election night
Facebook announced Wednesday that it will not be running political ads after election day, with no definitive end named.
“We plan to temporarily stop running all social issue, electoral or political ads in the US after the polls close on November 3, to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse,” Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, said in a statement. “We will notify advertisers when this policy is lifted.”
CNBC reported that Sarah Schiff, Facebook’s product lead for political advertising, said the ban on running such ads will last about a week after the election, but it’s subject to change.
“We know this election will be unlike any other,” Schiff said. “We are continuing to build on efforts that promote authoritative information about the election.”
In addition, Rosen said Facebook will be removing ads that make “calls for people to engage in poll watching when those calls use militarized language or suggest that the goal is to intimidate, exert control, or display power over election officials or voters.”
The announcement comes after Rob Leathern, Facebook’s director of product management, tweeted some clarification on some ads that would previously be banned, including “ads with content that seeks to delegitimize the outcome of an election.”
About the Author
Kelcie Willis is a writer and online content producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Georgia. At the AJC, she covers state, regional and national news with the Content Curation Desk.
