Facebook cracks down on political 'dark ads' to prevent spread of misinformation
The new system requires anyone posting a political advert to first verify their identity and location
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Your support makes all the difference.All British political adverts posted on Facebook will need to carry disclaimers and identity flags as part of a crackdown on the spread of misinformation through so-called "dark ads," the social network has announced.
Facebook was among several tech firms criticised for allowing propaganda stemming from Russia to spread on their platforms in the build up to the 2016 US elections.
From Tuesday, any political advertisements will now be subject to much greater oversight in the UK in a move that lawmakers said will help protect democracy in the digital age.
"While the vast majority of ads on Facebook are run by legitimate organisations, we know that there are bad actors that try to misuse our platform," Facebook said in a statement.
"By having people verify who they are, we believe it will help prevent abuse... We see this as an important part of ensuring electoral integrity and helping people understand who they are engaging with."
The roll out of the new system, which will require anyone wanting to post a political advert to first verify their identity and location, came on the same day that Facebook's UK public policy manager appeared before MPs during a Science and Technology Committee.
Karim Palant said during the hearing that Facebook would welcome greater government regulation of social media.
"I think there are areas where that could be a positive," he said. "For example, transparency around elections."
A House of Commons report this year said democracy is facing a crisis because data analysis and social media allow campaigns to target voters with messages of hate without their consent.
Similar systems have already been introduced in the US and Brazil in the build up to elections in both countries.
“The Government is taking action to tackle disinformation in the UK to ensure people can tell the difference between fact and fabrication," Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said.
“Online platforms should be taking the most effective steps they can to ensure transparency and I look forward to seeing the impact of these political advertising measures by Facebook.”
Additional reporting by agencies
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