Facebook acts to limit foreign interference in Ireland’s abortion vote
Facebook on Tuesday said it would stop accepting advertisements related to an upcoming referendum on abortion in Ireland from groups based outside of the country.
The announcement, which comes less than three weeks before Irish voters go to the polls, testifies to the depths of concerns that foreign advertising could skew the vote. And it marks the latest chapter in the technology company’s attempt to move past criticism that it has helped subvert democratic decision-making.
“We understand the sensitivity of this campaign and will be working hard to ensure neutrality at all stages,” the company said in a statement. “We are an open platform for people to express ideas and views on both sides of a debate. Our goal is simple: to help ensure a free, fair and transparent vote on this important issue.”
The referendum will decide the fate of the Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution, one of the most severe prohibitions on abortion in the Western world. Approved by voters in 1983, the law gives the mother and the unborn an equal right to life and proscribes termination even in cases of rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormality.
Debate over the Eighth has divided the Irish public, but it has also drawn the attention of international interest groups. And while Ireland forbids foreign spending in campaigns, its election law is silent on digital activity. As a result, groups from outside of Ireland — primarily from the United States, Britain and Canada — have been waging an online campaign to influence the vote, according to the Transparent Referendum Initiative, a nonpartisan organization tracking paid online advertising.
Craig Dwyer, one of the Initiative’s founders, said they have seen an increase of 150 advertisements over the past week alone, which include domestic and foreign messaging.
“We’ll work with them from now until May 25 to ensure no foreign ads are targeted at Irish voters on Facebook,” Dwyer said.