The social network announced Wednesday that it would ban on its platforms in the United States all advertising related to the elections, on subjects of society or politics, United at the closing of the polling stations on the night of the American elections of November 3.
Objective: to reduce the risks of "confusion or abuse".
Facebook announced on Wednesday that all election-related advertising, on social or political topics, would be banned on its platforms in the United States when polling stations close on U.S. election night on November 3.
The social media giant, often criticized for its rules deemed lax with regard to political content, took the decision to reduce the risks of "confusion or abuse", according to a statement, while the presidential election could be hotly contested.
The trauma of 2016
In early September, the Californian group had already announced that no new political advertising could be broadcast during the week preceding the election.
"We will also withdraw calls to come and observe elections at polling stations when these calls are formulated in military terms or when they suggest the idea of intimidating or controlling election officials or voters," the official also said. social network.
Facebook has been steadily adding strings to its bow for months so as not to repeat the trauma of 2016, when the platform was used for massive campaigns, aimed at influencing voters, during the presidential polls in the United States and on Brexit in the United States. UK.
These operations had mainly been orchestrated from Russia.
Like Twitter and YouTube, Facebook is concerned that the results will take a long time to be known, due to the greater use of postal voting during a pandemic than usual, and that the results will be hotly contested in the meantime.
At the risk of violence in the street.
"Better prepared than ever"
"If a candidate or party announces their victory prematurely before a result is given by major media outlets, we will add specific information indicating that the vote count is still ongoing and the winner has not yet determined, "Facebook senior officials recalled at a press conference.
The company considers itself "better prepared than ever".
"We believe we have done more than any other business over the past four years to help ensure the integrity of the election. This includes preventing interference, combating misinformation and attempts to discourage voters from surrendering. at the polls, "said Guy Rosen, one of the group's vice-presidents, in charge of integrity.