Twitter Is Banning All Political Ads
Click here to read the full article.
With roughly a year away to the 2020 presidential election, Twitter is now putting a stop to all political advertising.
Twitter chief executive officer Jack Dorsey revealed the news today in a series of tweets stating that the social media platform will be banning candidate ads and issue ads.
More from WWD
“A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet,” Dorsey wrote. “Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.”
A political message earns reach when people decide to follow an account or retweet. Paying for reach removes that decision, forcing highly optimized and targeted political messages on people. We believe this decision should not be compromised by money.
— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019
Dorsey states that political ads can lead to the dissemination of “unchecked misleading information and deep fakes.” He acknowledges the power of political ads on Twitter and how ads that include misleading information or derogatory comments can “influence votes to affect the lives of millions.”
The Twitter ban will go into effect on Nov. 22 and more information on the ban will be revealed on Nov. 15. Dorsey states that there will be exceptions to the Twitter ban, including ads that support voter registration.
“This isn’t about free expression,” he continued. “This is about paying for reach. And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle. It’s worth stepping back in order to address.”
A final note. This isn’t about free expression. This is about paying for reach. And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle. It’s worth stepping back in order to address.
— jack 🌍🌏🌎 (@jack) October 30, 2019
Twitter’s ban on political ads comes at a time of increased scrutiny against Facebook, which does not run political ads through its third-party fact-checking system. Facebook ceo Mark Zuckerberg also faced criticism earlier this month because the social media platform refused to take down a political ad for President Trump’s 2020 campaign that included false information on Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Read more here:
WWD L.A. Digital Forum Will Focus on How Tech Is Reshaping the Industry
Instagram Launches Threads Photo-Messaging App
Elle Germany Issues Apology on “Black is Back” Controversy
WATCH: What Makes a Fashion Brand Successful
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
