Facebook, Google could face new rules on political ads

Facebook, Google and other online platforms would face stricter rules for political advertising according to a proposed framework that will be considered by the Federal Election Commission.

The proposal, written by Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat and vice chair of the commission, would require online advertisements to carry the same disclaimers from their sponsors as do radio, television and print ads. The commission will consider the framework, known as a notice of proposed rule making, at its next public hearing on March 8.

The move comes as tech companies face growing scrutiny in Washington ranging from concerns about market dominance to concerns that online platforms are used for sex trafficking of children.

Congress has been examining how Russians used social media platforms to influence the 2016 election, and bipartisan bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate that would require companies like Facebook and Google to disclose information about sponsors of political ads on their sites, including how much they’re spending and what audiences the ads are focusing on.

Though the FEC proposal, which was shared by Weintraub, would apply to campaigns, political parties and other organizations that try to influence federal elections, tech companies could also be affected. They might have to adapt their platforms to accommodate the kind of disclaimers the FEC envisions.

In 2011, Facebook asked the FEC for an exemption from disclaimer rules because its ads used a “sponsored” tag that did not identify the sponsor, and did not necessarily link back to the sponsor’s website.