Facebook tightens rules for U.S. political advertisers ahead of 2020 election

Reuters - Facebook is tightening its political ad rules in the United States, it said on Wednesday (August 28), requiring new disclosures for its site and photo-sharing platform Instagram ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November 2020. The social media giant is introducing a "confirmed organization" label for U.S. political advertisers who show government-issued credentials to demonstrate their legitimacy. All advertisers running ads on politics or social issues will also have to post their contact information, even if they are not seeking the official label. Advertisers must comply by mid-October or risk having their ads cut off. Under scrutiny from regulators, since Russia used social media platforms to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Facebook has been rolling out ad transparency tools country by country since last year. Since May 2018, Facebook has required political advertisers in the United States to put a "paid for by" disclaimer on their ads. But the company said some had used misleading disclaimers or tried to register as organizations which did not exist. Last year, Facebook began requiring political advertisers to submit a U.S. mailing address and identity document. Under the new rules, they will also have to supply a phone number, business email, and website.