Facebook announces crackdown on political advertising

Facebook headquarters.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Facebook announced Friday that it will begin verifying the purchasers of political and policy ads on its platform, a process that will require a confirmation of the advertisers' identities and locations, CNN reports. The move comes as the social media company is mired in controversy over its role as a platform for Russian trolls during the presidential election as well as the data firm Cambridge Analytica's recently revealed improper use of users' data. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify before Congress next week.

In addition to verifying ad buyers, Facebook will also label political and policy ads in order to show users who the purchaser is. "The ads will be put into a searchable database, which will be released in June," CNN explains. "The database will include details on how much the ads cost and what kinds of people the advertisers were targeting."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.