Facebook Mulls Ban On Political Ads Before November Election – Reports

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Social media giant Facebook is discussing whether to impose a ban on political ads in its network before the US election this November, according to news reports.

Any potential ban has not been finalized and is merely being discussed, according to the reports. Facebook has been under fire for refusing to censor or remove political content, and the ban may be one way to appease its opponents.

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Some advertisers are boycotting the platform for refusing to alter its policies on political content, which they contend may promote misleading information. But others claim that removal of political ads may limit “get out the vote” campaigns or any candidate responses to late-breaking news.

Bloomberg made the initial report on the discussions. Facebook has declined to comment.

Many parts of the world have ad blackouts before elections. Facebook is considered a key platform to reach voters and was cited as one reason for President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory.

Twitter stopped taking political ads last year. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has admitted publicly to considering an ad ban, saying, “Banning political ads favors incumbents and whoever the media covers.”

 

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