Political advertising will be banned on Twitter in the future. In the case of Facebook, in turn, such Displays are exempt even from the usual fact check. Instead of relying, however, on the arbitrariness of Silicon Valley bosses, should make the company clear guidelines – platform and cross-party.
For years, warned of the dangers of political advertising in the social media for democracy and society: From the Brexit about the US election in 2016 to Cambridge Analytica, the examples of disinformation, paid Ads are numerous. It is only a question of time until also in Europe, election campaigns, final, online, already, political advertising is increasingly used by parties and organizations.
It is true that party posters on the roadside, met also can lies and hate messages spread, the experienced, the Switzerland in the last election campaign. But posters are available to the Public easily accessible. The opposite is the “micro-targeting” is on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube based on data-based assumptions about certain individuals and to the Public is not accessible. People, the a algorithm has calculated, how to appeal to them, or can irritate. Depending on the suspected personal setting, a political organization, a user can either select a Post to view the threat of terrorism, or to animal protection.
“Who spends how much money for what content must be disclosed.”
In fact, Twitter’s decision a step in the right direction – but in the end, just a drop on the hot stone. Facebook, Google and Youtube, where campaign Teams have to spend far larger sums of money, continue to allow political Ads. And by the way: Twitter has 330 million Users worldwide, Facebook 2.45 billion.
basically, it should be left to the platforms, to make decisions about whether and what political advertising appears – and what are the rules for election campaigns. The company must make requirements that apply to all platforms and all of the parties.
Who spends how much money for what content must be disclosed. Many of the big platforms to undertake since September 2018 in a code of conduct of the European Commission on transparency in political advertising. Since then, some of them are listed, not necessarily detailed information in so-called ad libraries, but there the least come in for a look ever. Directly in the Newsfeed would have to be seen, where the advertising comes in, who funds them, what are the properties for the Targeting were important and what the people were thus excluded. In addition to the platforms, the parties are asked to assume responsibility for an open political communication.
“At the European level could possibly rise with the new Commission, the question of an EU-wide approach.”
rules are good, control is better. So far, the European institutions trust in compliance with the code of conduct of the platforms, But whoever trusts in the case of food, the only controls on the self-information of the Producing, experienced at some point of his rotten meat scandal. Currently, it is still open, who could control the compliance with such rules for social networking. At the European level, possibly with the new Commission, the question of the EU could rise-wide approach. In any case, it is urgently necessary to support Supervisory authorities, or to create, in order to monitor global company.
Although political advertising makes up only a fraction of the disinformation on the net, but that’s just it, it’s possible to create rules: In the USA you look is currently on Europe, because you dared to be here at all, the rules for networks are to be established. Just because in this country, analogue-election battles still not quite out of fashion, it is worth to find solutions: the policy has the option to build a kind of fire protection, instead of standing helpless by a burning fire.
Created: 15.11.2019, 22:23 PM
