NEW YORK (AP) - With less than three months to go before the midterm elections, Facebook[1] is enforcing strict new requirements on digital political ads. Among other things, they force political ad buyers to verify their identities by receiving mail at a known U.S. address.
Facebook[2] credits the system with catching at least one ad from a fake, and possibly Russia-connected, Facebook[3] page that it discovered trying to sow political discord ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
But how does the system enforce these rules? How does it even define a political ad, particularly when a computer is making that judgment? And did any ads evade Facebook[4]’s detection before it discovered a new set of fake and possibly Russia-linked pages this week?
Here are some questions and answers on how political ads work on Facebook[5].
WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH POLITICAL ADS?
After revelations that that Russians bankrolled thousands of fake political ads during the 2016 elections, Facebook[6] and other social networks faced intense pressure to ensure that doesn’t happen again.
Unlike political ads on television, online ads are not required to disclose who pays for them, making it harder to evaluate their message. And it makes it much easier for people to disguise their true motives when buying political ads.
WHAT DID FACEBOOK[7] DO?
Last fall, Facebook[8] announced that it will verify political ad buyers in federal elections by requiring them to confirm their names and locations. Political ads must also carry a “paid for by” disclosure. Facebook[9] will also archive all political ads for the public, including the details of how they were targeted....
The company defines a political ad as any advertisement related to U.S. elections, such as those referencing current or former candidates, political parties, political action committees or ballot measures. It even includes “get out the vote” drives.In May, the company expanded the requirements to cover U.S. ads that touch on polarizing issues such as gun control and abortion rights. But defining what counts as an issue ad isn’t always easy. For example, both education and immigration can be political issues - but ads for universities or immigration lawyers generally are not.So Facebook[10] produced a list of “top-level issues” that, if mentioned in an ad, subject it to closer scrutiny. These topics range from specifics like taxes and terrorism to broad issues such as health, poverty and “values” (which Facebook[11] does not define).HOW DOES FACEBOOK[12] ENFORCE THIS?Anyone can try to buy a political ad on Facebook[13]; it’s up to the company to enforce its rules.After an ad is submitted through Facebook[14]’s automated system, the company reviews its images, text, the audiences it targets, and the Facebook[15] page it aims to