Ad Campaigns
Facebook to bring stricter ad rules ahead of India’s general election
MUMBAI: Reuters has reported that Facebook Inc will be extending some of its political advertising rules and tools, for curbing election interference, to several countries including India ahead of the general elections. India will be electing the parliament this summer.
Facebook director of product management Rob Leathern has revealed that the social media site will place electoral ads in a searchable online library starting from next month. The library will resemble archives brought to the United States, Brazil, and Britain last year.
The Indian archive will contain contact information for some ad buyers or their official regulatory certificates. For individuals buying political ads, Facebook said it would ensure their listed name matches government-issued documents.
As the largest social media service in nearly every big country, Facebook, since 2016, has become a means for politicians and their adversaries to distribute fake news and other propaganda. Buying Facebook ads can widen the audience for such material, but some of those influence efforts may violate election rules and the company’s policies. Under pressure from authorities around the world, Facebook last year introduced several initiatives to increase oversight of political ads.
