McC push for Web-ad regs

Sen. John McCain joined two Democrats to introduce legislation Thursday regulating political ads on social-media platforms like Facebook.

The bill, known as the Honest Ads Act, would create federal disclosure regulations for Internet titans like Facebook, Google and Twitter to divulge the buyers of political ads and the audiences they target — requirements that already govern ads sold on TV, radio and cable and in print publications.

It would also require tech companies to file disclaimers and fully disclose to the Federal Election Commission who paid for the ads.

Digital platforms with 50 million or more unique monthly visitors would have to keep a public database of political ads and maintain records on entities that bought more than $500 of such ads over the previous 12 months.

The database would have to in- clude a copy of the ad, the rate charged and its target audience.

The bill would also require the Internet firms make a “reasonable” effort to prevent foreign nationals from using ads to influence elections.

McCain (R-Ariz.) signed on to the bill drafted by Democratic Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

McCain said he supports the bill “for the same reason I have been for transparency in campaign-finance reform for the last 25 years.”

During the presidential election, Facebook ran more than $100,000 worth of ads from a company linked to Russia.

Meanwhile, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley on Thursday cast Russian interference in the 2016 election as “warfare,” breaking in tone, if not substance, from President Trump, who consistently has downplayed Moscow’s influence in American politics.