Facebook Pauses US Political Ads After Georgia Runoffs

Currently, Georgia is the sole state within the United States where Facebook permits the operation of political advertisements; however, this is scheduled to change following the closure of polls on Tuesday.

As detailed on Facebook’s website outlining modifications to its advertising policies, and as reported by Axios, the company will cease authorization of political and social issue advertisements throughout the entire country, including Georgia, starting tomorrow.

Facebook communicated to TechCrunch that discontinuing political advertisements in Georgia aligns the state with the company’s existing “nationwide pause” on advertisements concerning social issues, elections, and politics. A representative from Facebook did not specify when political advertisements will be reinstated or whether a permanent prohibition is being considered.

The initial suspension of these ad categories occurred on November 4th as a preventative measure intended to curtail the spread of misinformation during the U.S. presidential election. On December 16th, the company re-enabled political advertisements in Georgia, providing campaigns with the opportunity to disseminate their messages to Facebook users through paid promotion. Several politicians, including Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), reportedly capitalized on this Georgia exception to solicit funds despite existing restrictions.

Reports from The Markup indicate that when political advertisements were reintroduced for Georgia residents, they surpassed mainstream news sources in visibility. While this outcome is logical, it emphasizes the significant impact of targeted political advertising within Facebook’s information environment.

Numerous politicians and political organizations are likely anticipating a return to fundraising on Facebook. The company’s decision to maintain the pause suggests ongoing evaluation of how—and potentially whether—it intends to manage political advertisements in the future. Facebook may also be awaiting a reduction in the issues surrounding misinformation that arose during the extended process of finalizing election results in November.

Notably, Rob Leathern, Facebook’s head of advertising integrity, departed from the company at the close of December, describing his team’s efforts concerning the 2020 U.S. election as the “culmination of a substantial amount of work over several years.” Leathern played a key role in shaping the company’s policies regarding political advertising—decisions that frequently sparked debate due to the widespread presence of paid misinformation on the platform throughout 2020.

The two unusual runoff races in Georgia, a state that recently shifted to Democratic control, are particularly important as they will determine control of the Senate. A Democratic Senate would significantly improve the prospects for the Biden administration’s ambitious proposals related to areas such as COVID relief and the climate crisis. Conversely, continued Republican control of the Senate would present a substantial obstacle to the president-elect’s policy agenda.