Facebook to ban ads with content that ‘seeks to delegitimize the outcome of the election’
MENLO PARK, Calif. (NewsNation Now) — Facebook has updated its recently announced political advertising policy to also not allow ads “with content that seeks to delegitimize the outcome of an election.”
Rob Leathern, director of product management at Facebook, said this is in addition to policies previously announced that would “prohibit ads that make premature declarations of victory.”
“For example, this would include calling a method of voting inherently fraudulent or corrupt, or using isolated incidents of voter fraud to delegitimize the result of an election,” Leathern said on Twitter.
He said the changes are effective immediately and apply to ads across Facebook and Instagram.
According to Facebook, the following ads won’t be allowed in the United States around the election and related to the U.S. Census:
- Ads that portray voting or census participation as useless/meaningless and/or advise users not to vote or participate in a census.
- Ads that delegitimize any lawful method or process of voting or voting tabulation (including in-person voting on paper or on machines, absentee voting, vote by mail, and lawful collection of ballots) as illegal, inherently fraudulent or corrupt, or will result in a fraudulent or corrupt election administration or outcome.
- Ads that delegitimize an election and/or result as fraudulent or corrupt because the result can’t be determined on the final day of voting and/or before ballots received after the final day of voting are lawfully counted.
- Ads that claim voter fraud (such as voter impersonation, duplicate voting, or non-eligible individuals voting) is widespread and/or alters the outcome of elections and/or results in a fraudulent or corrupt election.
- Ads that claim the election date or the mechanism for electing the President can be changed in ways not permitted by the Constitution or federal law.
- Ads with premature claims of election victory.
- Ads that are inconsistent with health authorities on voting safely.