Google shifts rules for political ads, pressuring Facebook
WASHINGON, United States — Google's tightening of its political ad policy could help reduce the spread of misinformation on election campaigns, but at a cost for lesser-known candidates.
The move by Google placing restrictions on how advertisers can target specific groups of voters also adds to the pressure on Facebook to
Google announced Wednesday it would not allow political advertisers to use "
Google also sought to clarify its policy by
"There are no carve-outs," Google vice president Scott Spencer said.
"It's against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim
The move follows a ban by Twitter on most kinds of political
Facebook isolated
Senator Ron Wyden welcomed the Google move, saying it could reduce the number of deceptive ads which
"Targeted influence campaigns are more effective and more cost-effective than blanket propaganda, and far harder to identify and expose," Wyden said.
"Now that Google and Twitter have taken responsible steps to guard against shadowy political influence campaigns, Facebook should do the same."
Karen Kornbluh, director of the digital innovation democracy initiative at the German Marshall Fund, called Google's move "a critically important step in taking this political disinformation weapon off the table," but warned that the different rules for various platforms could lead to confusion.
Michelle Amazeen, a Boston University professor who follows political advertising, said Google's actions were "small steps in the right direction that
Analysts noted that Facebook, which has rejected efforts to fact-check political speech or ads, will
Facebook said in a tweet late Wednesday it was "looking at different ways we might refine our approach to political ads," without elaborating.
Shifting digital strategies
But political strategists from both parties warned that the changes by Google are likely to help well-financed and incumbent candidates and may not have the intended effect.
"This change won't curb disinformation, but it will hinder campaigns and others who are already working against the tide of bad actors to reach voters with facts," said Tara
Eric Wilson, a Republican digital strategist, said
"The big disappointment on this is you
Mark
"In the absence of sensible, implementable federal regulations, companies like Google have adopted misguided policies that will do little more than benefit incumbents, the wealthy, and those who rely on targeting
President Donald Trump's campaign director Brad
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