In Seattle, Facebook Blocks Political Ads from One City Council Candidate While Running Ads from Her

[TexasTowelie]

In Seattle, Facebook Blocks Political Ads from One City Council Candidate While Running Ads from Her Opponent


Rather than comply with groundbreaking disclosure laws, Facebook has simply banned all local political ads in Washington state. That means no one running in this year's races for Seattle City Council should have the advantages that come with paid messaging on the digital platform.

But in the race to represent the Ballard area, one city council candidate, Heidi Wills, currently has seven active Facebook ads running, according to Facebook's own ad archive, while one of Wills's opponents, Kate Martin, has been blocked by Facebook from running political ads.

Martin calls this blatantly unfair.

"Either we all get to run them or no one gets to run them," said Martin, who was blocked after I reported earlier this year that Facebook was selling ads to multiple candidates in Washington state, including her, despite its local political ad ban.

"That’s simple, basic fairness," Martin continued. "The inconsistent treatment—where Facebook lets some campaigns run ads, but not others—is frustrating."

Read more: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/04/16/39927158/in-seattle-facebook-blocks-political-ads-from-one-city-council-candidate-while-running-ads-from-her-opponent

[femmedem]

1. In order to run political ads or events on fb you have to fill out a disclosure form

You have to prove you are who you say you are with a photo of some form of ID. Then they mail you a form that you have to fill out and mail back in.

I had to do this for an event I was organizing about climate change before I could boost the event on fb.

It could be as simple as one candidate followed this procedure and the other didn't.