Facebook and Google to reportedly keep political ad bans in place for several weeks

(Image credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

published 11 November 2020

A winner may have been projected in the 2020 presidential election, but Facebook and Google aren't lifting their bans on political ads just yet.

Facebook has told advertisers it will continue banning political advertising for "another month" in order to "help prevent confusion or abuse on our platform," The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Google also plans to keep its political ad ban going and has told some advertisers it isn't likely to lift it in November or December, the Journal says.

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Though the presidential race has been called for President-elect Joe Biden by major media outlets, President Trump has yet to concede the race and is challenging the results in battleground states. Republicans and Democrats are also gearing up for crucial Georgia runoff elections in January that will determine which party controls the Senate. But Politico notes that the Facebook ad ban extension "will limit the Georgia campaigns' ability to raise money and mobilize support," and HuffPost's Kevin Robillard argues it will be "essentially handing an advantage" to the two Republican candidates.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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