By Tony Winterburn • Published: 08 Oct 2020 • 8:12
Facebook has announced that it will stop running political ads until polls close in the U.S. on Nov. 3.
Facebook’s VP of Integrity Guy Rosen wrote in a statement, quote: “While ads are an important way to express voice, we plan to temporarily stop running all social issue, electoral or political ads in the US after the polls close on November 3, to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse.”
However, Rosen did not say how long exactly the temporary ban would remain in effect. “We will notify advertisers when this policy is lifted,” he wrote. The new rules come as Facebook executives have discussed comments from President Donald Trump that he may not accept the results of the election if he loses. The company previously said it would ban new political ads in the week leading up to November 3.
As well as the new restrictions on political ads, Facebook said that it would take down claims “calls for people to engage in poll-watching when those calls use ‘militarized language’ or suggest that the goal is to intimidate, exert control, or display power over election officials or voters.” Trump previously told his supporters that they should “watch” the polls on election day, which has worried some election officials and civil rights groups.
In a statement, Facebook said it has been preparing for this election since 2016 when its platform was used by Russian agents trying to interfere with the US political process.
For more Political News from Home and Abroad, visit the Euro Weekly News website.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.