Facebook tightens norms for political ads

Bengaluru: Any person or agency that wants to run an advertisement related to politics in India on Facebook will need to first confirm their identity and location, and give details about who placed the ad, the social media giant said on Thursday.

In a post, Facebook said this is key as takes steps to prevent abuse on Facebook and bring transparency in political advertising ahead of general elections next year.

“We’ve rolled out these changes in the US, Brazil, and the UK, and next, we’re taking our first steps towards bringing transparency to ads related to politics in India,” Facebook stated in the post.


The changes were undertaken after authorities in the US found Russian interference and a coordinated misinformation campaign on Facebook during the US presidential elections, 2016.

Facebook said it’s important that people know more about the ads they see — especially those that reference political figures, political parties, elections, and legislation.

The social media giant said the identity and location confirmation will take a few weeks so advertisers can start that process today by using their mobile phones or computer to submit proof of identity and location.