BFF-08 Google shifts rules for political ads, pressuring Facebook

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BFF-08

US-IT-POLITICS-GOOGLE

Google shifts rules for political ads, pressuring Facebook

WASHINGTON, Nov 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Google’s tightening of its political
ad policy could help reduce the spread of misinformation on election
campaigns, but at a cost for lesser-known candidates.

The move by Google placing restrictions on how advertisers can target
specific groups of voters also adds to the pressure on Facebook to modify its
hands-off policy on political ads.

Google announced Wednesday it would not allow political advertisers to use
“microtargeting” which can be based on user browsing data, political
affiliation or other factors, for its ads, including on YouTube.

Instead it will limit targeting to general categories such as age, gender
or postal code location. The changes will be enforced in Britain within a
week and in the rest of the world starting in January.

Google also sought to clarify its policy by indicating it does not allow
“false claims” in advertising, political or otherwise.

“There are no carve-outs,” Google vice president Scott Spencer said.

“It’s against our policies for any advertiser to make a false claim —
whether it’s a claim about the price of a chair or a claim that you can vote
by text message, that election day is postponed, or that a candidate has
died.”

The move follows a ban by Twitter on most kinds of political ads, and comes
amid growing pressure on internet platforms to curb the spread of
misinformation around political campaigns.

– Facebook isolated –

Senator Ron Wyden welcomed the Google move, saying it could reduce the
number of deceptive ads which are sent to small segments of users, including
from foreign entities.

“Targeted influence campaigns are more effective and more cost-effective
than blanket propaganda, and far harder to identify and expose,” Wyden said.

“Now that Google and Twitter have taken responsible steps to guard against
shadowy political influence campaigns, Facebook should do the same.”

Karen Kornbluh, director of the digital innovation democracy initiative at
the German Marshall Fund, called Google’s move “a critically important step
in taking this political disinformation weapon off the table,” but warned
that the different rules for various platforms could lead to confusion.

Michelle Amazeen, a Boston University professor who follows political
advertising, said Google’s actions were “small steps in the right direction
that serve to chip away at the tsunami of disinformation fostered by the
current architecture of digital-social media platforms.”

Analysts noted that Facebook, which has rejected efforts to fact-check
political speech or ads, will be pressured to make a similar move that could
have even more far-reaching consequences.

Facebook said in a tweet late Wednesday it was “looking at different ways
we might refine our approach to political ads,” without elaborating.

– Shifting digital strategies –

But political strategists from both parties warned that the changes by
Google are likely to help well-financed and incumbent candidates and may not
have the intended effect.

“This change won’t curb disinformation, but it will hinder campaigns and
others who are already working against the tide of bad actors to reach voters
with facts,” said Tara McGowan, founder of the progressive advocacy group
ACRONYM which has launched a $75 million digital campaign.

Eric Wilson, a Republican digital strategist, said new candidates will be
hampered in their ability to raise funds and build voter lists — a key
element on online campaigns even before the “persuasion” phase.

“The big disappointment on this is you’re going to have campaign spending
go to platforms that are less transparent that will allow you to target
voters more narrowly. The dollars won’t go away.”

Mark Jablonowski, managing partner and chief technology officer of the
digital consultancy DSPolitical, which works with Democrats, said Google’s
efforts create a patchwork of different rules that will favor incumbents.

“In the absence of sensible, implementable federal regulations, companies
like Google have adopted misguided policies that will do little more than
benefit incumbents, the wealthy, and those who rely on targeting largely
monolithic Republican constituencies,” he said.

President Donald Trump’s campaign director Brad Parscale responded to the
Google action by tweeting that “political elites & Big Tech want to rig
elections.. Won’t stop until they control all digital political speech.”

BSS/AFP/GMR/0918 hrs