Thursday, October 3

Facebook Says It Will Halt Political Ads in The U.S. after The Polls Close on Nov. 3

KEY POINTS

  • Facebook on Wednesday revealed that it will stop running political advertisements in the U.S. after surveys close for the 2020 election on Nov. 3.
  • Facebook’s policy change comes as President Donald Trump has declined to commit to a serene transfer of power must he lose.
  • Facebook likewise announced that it will “eliminate calls for individuals to engage in survey enjoying when those calls utilize militarized language or recommend that the objective is to daunt, put in control, or screen power over election officials or voters.”

Facebook on Wednesday revealed that it will stop running political ads in the U.S. after surveys close for the 2020 election on Nov. 3 and keep them stopped for an indefinite period.

“While ads are a crucial method to express voice, we prepare to briefly stop running all social problem, electoral, or political advertisements in the U.S. after the surveys close on November 3, to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse,” the business stated in a post. “We will inform advertisers when this policy is lifted.”

The momentary ban is expected to last about one week, but that will go through alter, said Sarah Schiff, Facebook’s item lead for political advertising.

“We know this election will differ from any other,” Schiff stated on a call with press reporters. “We are continuing to build on efforts that promote reliable information about the election.”

Facebook had previously announced that it would not permit new political ads to run beginning seven days before the election. The company has also previously revealed that it will not permit any advertisements that seek to delegitimize the outcomes of the election.

Facebook’s policy change comes as President Donald Trump has used social media to make incorrect claims that ballot by mail results in election fraud. Trump has also refused to commit to a tranquil transfer of power need to he lose. The move comes regardless of Facebook stating on Sept. 3 that it would not reveal any more policy changes associated with the election in between then and the main election results.

In Addition, Facebook on Wednesday revealed that it will “get rid of requiring people to take part in survey viewing when those calls use militarized language or recommend that the goal is to intimidate, put in control, or display screen power over election authorities or voters.”

This would consist of words such as “army” or “battle,” stated Monika Bickert, Facebook’s vice president of content policy.

This change follows Trump gotten in touch with supporters “to enter into the surveys and watch extremely carefully” throughout last week’s governmental debate.

Facebook also announced that if the stated winner of a race is contested by another prospect, the social network will reveal users the stated winner’s name and a link to more information in the business’s Voting Details Center. Facebook had previously announced that if a candidate or political celebration attempted to prematurely state success it would alert users that counting is still in progress.

Over the previous year, Facebook has been commonly criticized for its decision to enable political leaders to consist of false information in their ads while others in the social network’s market, such as Twitter and TikTok, have banned political advertisements altogether.