Without new laws, Facebook has no reason to fix its broken ad system

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Facebook’s ads have been a source of frustration for lawmakers for years, especially in the aftermath of the 2016 elections when it was discovered that Russian influence agents were able to place political ads involving US politics on the platform. Bills have been introduced to hold these platforms accountable, such as the Honest Ads Act, and federal agencies have launched investigations, but everything so far has fallen flat.

After Facebook implemented its own rules and agreed to adhere to the Honest Ads Act, all momentum on the bill stalled. Some federal regulators are already working on rules that would rein in Facebook, although any enforcement will be too late for the upcoming midterms. The Federal Elections Commission is currently considering a notice of proposed rule-making that would classify “internet communication” on platforms like Facebook and Twitter as “public communication,” therefore requiring explicit disclaimers when an ad is sponsored by a politician or political entity. As of right now, Facebook has no legal restrictions on how it fights false political ads, and no outside incentive to stop scammy election tactics.


Without new laws, Facebook has no reason to fix its broken ad system