Meta Reuses 2020 Political Ad Restrictions for Upcoming U.S. Midterms
Meta plans to disable new political and issue-based ads during the week before the November midterm elections. The company is relying on the same playbook it used in 2020 despite past enforcement failures.
Meta outlines its plan to prepare Facebook and Instagram for the U.S. midterm elections by relying heavily on previous strategies. The company announces a blackout period for new political, electoral, and social issue ads during the final week before November 8. Existing ads will continue to run during this time, but Meta blocks users from making edits or changing targeting parameters for those campaigns.
Meta Global Affairs President Nick Clegg explains that this restriction prevents bad actors from spreading contested claims without giving fact-checkers enough time to respond. While Clegg states that the blackout lifts the day after the election, history suggests the company might extend the pause. In 2020, Meta originally paused political ads for just a few days but kept the ban in place until mid-December.
Beyond advertising rules, Meta reiterates its commitment to removing posts and ads that misrepresent voting logistics or election outcomes. However, critics question the effectiveness of these promises due to the platform's poor track record. After the 2020 election, Facebook struggles to contain the "Stop the Steal" movement, allowing false claims to spread prolifically until the violent January 6 Capitol riot forces the company to take more serious action.