Facebook to ban new political ads on cusp of US election
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law in Washington, DC, July 29, 2020. REUTERS-Yonhap
Facebook said Thursday it will ban new political advertising the week before the US election, one of its most sweeping moves yet against disinformation as CEO Mark Zuckerberg warned of a "risk of civil unrest" after the vote.
The social media giant vowed to fact check premature claims of victory, stating that if a candidate tries to declare himself the winner before final votes are tallied "we'll add a label to their posts directing people to the official results."
And it promised to "add an informational label" to content seeking to delegitimize the results or claim that "lawful voting methods" will lead to fraud.
"Anyone who is saying the election is going to be fraudulent, I think that's problematic," Zuckerberg said in a CBS interview on Thursday.
Facebook also started limiting its Messenger service to allow users to forward missives to no more than five people or groups at a time "to help curb the efforts of those looking to cause chaos, sow uncertainty or inadvertently undermine accurate information."
The moves follow sharp criticism of Facebook's handling of the 2016 presidential election, when it failed to restrict disinformation from Russian operatives that spread conspiracy theories and discouraged voting in some cases.
The US is gearing up for what is expected to be a bruising campaign season against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic and mass protests for racial justice that have led to violent conflict in some cities between civil rights groups and armed right-wing vigilantes.
"Facebook's announcements about policing voting misinformation, including politicians, and defending a fair election are significant improvements and come after much pressure from civil rights community," said Vanita Gupta, chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
"But everything ― any impact ― rests on enforcement. We'll remain vigilant."
But Tom Fitton, president of conservative activist group Judicial Watch, condemned the move.
"Facebook further caves to the Left and will suppress 'new' ads in the week before the election," Fitton said on Twitter. "This is a breathtaking effort to control what FB users see at a crucial time and raises First Amendment concerns." (AFP)