• News
  • Sport
  • TV
  • Radio
  • Education
  • TV Licences
  • Contact Us
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION
No Result
View All Result
1
Home Sci-tech

Facebook allows US political candidates to run sponsored content

15 February 2020, 10:00 AM  |
Reuters Reuters |  @SABCNews
Political campaigns and groups can now  use Facebook’s branded content tool, which allows influencers  to more clearly tag in an official sub-header that the post is a paid partnership

Political campaigns and groups can now use Facebook’s branded content tool, which allows influencers to more clearly tag in an official sub-header that the post is a paid partnership

Image: Reuters

Political campaigns and groups can now use Facebook’s branded content tool, which allows influencers to more clearly tag in an official sub-header that the post is a paid partnership

Facebook Inc said on Friday it was allowing US-based political candidates to run branded content on its social networking platforms, but the content would not be catalogued in its advertising library.

Political campaigns and groups can now use the social media company’s branded content tool, which allows influencers to more clearly tag in an official sub-header that the post is a paid partnership.

The change came after US Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg this week paid popular meme accounts on Facebook-owned Instagram to post content about the billionaire former New York mayor.

The strategy of paying social media influencers to spread political messages or make content is gathering momentum ahead of the 2020 race, but rules around the practice have been hazy.

“After hearing from multiple campaigns, we agree that there’s a place for branded content in political discussion on our platforms,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

The Instagram posts by popular meme accounts that were paid for by the Bloomberg campaign did include disclaimers, but their humorous nature left some users wondering if the partnerships were real. Several posts used the disclaimer: “And yes this is really #sponsored by @mikebloomberg.”

To use Facebook’s branded content tool, political campaigns or groups must be authorized as political advertisers through the company’s ID verification process.

Facebook does not make money from branded or sponsored content, for which brands directly pay creators, so they do not count this as advertising. It does, however, ask content creators to comply with regulations to disclose paid partnerships.

The Federal Trade Commission requires social media influencers and content creators to clearly label sponsored posts. This week, the FTC announced it would be seeking public comment on how effective these rules are and whether it should make changes.

The Federal Election Commission says paid public online communications containing “express advocacy” must have a disclaimer, but it does not have explicit rules about social media influencers.

In December 2019, former FEC chair Ellen Weintraub acknowledged in a statement that its 2006 internet disclaimer regulations were written “several eons ago.”

Facebook said sponsored content from political advertisers will not be included in its Ad Library, a database maintained to provide transparency around political and other advertising, unless the creator pays to promote the post using the company’s advertising tools.

Bloomberg’s Democratic rival Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the fact that sponsored posts would not be publicly tracked.

“Refusing to catalog paid political ads because the Bloomberg campaign found a workaround means there will be less transparency for the content he is paying to promote,” Warren said in a tweet. “Mike Bloomberg cannot be allowed to buy an election with zero accountability.”

The Bloomberg campaign, which has been waging a huge digital campaign to try and beat Republican President Donald Trump in November, told Reuters this week that it thought its “meme strategy” would be effective.

“The campaign was explicitly clear that these posts were ads and sponsored content,” said Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for the Bloomberg campaign, in a statement on Friday. “We went above and beyond to follow Instagram’s rules and the text of the post clearly shows these are the campaign’s paid ads.”

A Facebook spokesman told Reuters that the Bloomberg campaign was not the only political campaign that had asked about the company’s policies regarding sponsored content.

Share article
Tags: ElectionUnited StatesFacebook
Previous Post

Eskom announces stage 3 load shedding

Next Post

Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge begins in George

Related Posts

New born baby in hospital.

South Africa sees alarming spike in Fetal Alcohol Disorder rate

11 September 2023, 8:25 AM
Prof Bruce Mellado, chair of the local organising committee interacts with media ahead of the TIPP conference. The event brings together specialists from around the world to share best practice on Technology in Instrumentation and Particle Physics.

TIPP conference in Cape Town focusses on technological advancements

5 September 2023, 12:00 PM
FILE PHOTO - An internet cable is seen at a server room in this picture illustration taken in Warsaw January 24, 2012. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

INFOGRAPHIC: All you need to know about the SA undersea broken internet cables

18 August 2023, 7:21 PM
Logo of SiyaTutor, an AI-driven WhatsApp-based tutor chatbot designed to assist school learners in their educational journey.

WhatsApp combines AI in SiyaTutor for personalised learning

13 August 2023, 1:31 PM
FILE PHOTO: Twitter logo and a photo of Elon Musk are displayed through magnifier in this illustration taken October 27, 2022.

Elon Musk says Twitter’s blue bird to be replaced by an X

24 July 2023, 9:28 AM
Meta's Threads app and Twitter logos are seen in this illustration taken July 4, 2023.

Zuckerberg-Musk fights first round: Meta launches ‘Twitter Killer’ Threads app

6 July 2023, 7:29 AM
Next Post
Organisers say they expect about 800 athletes from all nine provinces and countries such as Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ghana to participate

Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge begins in George

Most Viewed

  • 24hrs
  • Week
  • Month
  • Concern over exclusion of foreign nationals from Road Accident Fund
  • Cashless taxi service launched in Cape Town
  • “Motsoaledi’s ZEP leave for appeal has no prospects of success”
  • ANC building up in flames in Port St Johns
  • Gqeberha on high-alert following disruptive weather warnings
  • High waves and rough water conditions force beach closures in the Western Cape
  • Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi to rest in the town he built and nurtured
  • NSPCA files criminal case against Julius Malema for alleged animal cruelty
  • Snow, heavy rainfall expected in parts of KZN: SAWS
  • Cold-front sweeps across SA bringing snow and chilly temperatures
  • A level two weather warning issued for southern KZN
  • Eight killed, several others injured in a head-on collision in Limpopo
  • Western Cape on high alert following severe storm warning
  • Northern Cape motorists urged to drive safely due to poor visibility caused by fires
  • Free State magistrate’s death described as a loss to the legal fraternity

LATEST

Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber and SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.
  • Sport
  • Rugby

Springbok flyhalf Pollard set to play against Tonga


Damaging waves, strong winds and severe thunderstorms are expected in certain parts of the Western Cape.
  • South Africa

Buffalo City residents without power due to bad weather


A candle burns in a house on the Cape Flats, due to South Africa's struggling power utility company Eskom, implementing regular power cuts - called 'load-shedding', in Cape Town, South Africa February 11, 2023.
  • Eskom rolling blackouts
  • South Africa

Stage 3 load shedding to be implemented from 8PM


Provincial heritage celebration at Zwigodini, outside Musina in Limpopo.
  • South Africa

Limpopo government says it’s working together to protect nature reserves


[File Image]: ANC flag seen at an event.
  • Politics

ANC branches granted another extension to select candidates for members of legislatures


Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton seen at a Grand Prix.
  • Sport
  • Motorsport

Hamilton says next six months are crucial for Mercedes


Weather

  • About the SABC
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Site Map

SABC © 2023

No Result
View All Result
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION

© 2023

Previous Eskom announces stage 3 load shedding
Next Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge begins in George