The social network Facebook has announced that it remains firm in its decision to continue allowing political ads -unlike some of their competitors-but it will make it easier for the users to reduce the number of messages of this type that reach them.
The director of Product Management of the company, Rob Leathern, in charge of revealing the new policy in an entry on his web site, ensures that the new tools “will allow people to see less political ads, and social affairs on Facebook and Instagram,” if you wish.
The movement of the social network most used in the world falls far short of the requests have come from multiple fronts during the past few months to follow the same path that Twitter and prohibited by full ads political campaigns, or do like Google and reduce their capacity to only apply to specific audiences. According to the company, the principle that underlies this decision is that “people should be able to listen to all of those who want them and what they say should be scrutinised and debated in public.”
The firm led by Mark Zuckerberg is under the magnifying glass of regulatory and public opinion from the role that he played in the US presidential elections of 2016, in which it was used to spread false information and influence in the campaign by Russian hackers.
In November of this year they again have presidential elections in the U.S., elections that are expected to be as much or more contorted than those of four years ago, and in which social networks will be of even greater importance.
In this sense, few weeks ago Facebook was already in the eye of the hurricane to the unfolding that does not contrast the content that the campaigns are policies they post on their platform and that, therefore, authorizes them de facto to disseminate false information (unlike what you do with the rest of the users).
What do the others?
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Twitter has banned political ads that refer to candidates, parties, elections or legislative matters. Nor does it allow content that advocate for specific results for causes social or political. “We believe that the scope of the political messages must be earned and not purchased”, Jack Dorsey, executive director of the company some weeks ago. Those who criticize those measures argue that with them is for the benefit of the parties dominant and punishes the candidates less well known.
Google will limit the possibility of broadcast ads aimed at specific groups, so advertisers can use data of political affiliation or voter registration. However, there is still the possibility of using information out of context and, for example, show your ads to users that have viewed certain videos. In addition, the platform itself prohibits certain inaccuracies in the information disseminated, although it does not have a veto-specific content publishing false or misleading.