Google issues transparency tools for May 2019 EU elections

In the run-up to the May 2019 European Parliament elections, Google announced it would launch a new set of transparency tools to combat voter manipulation. Before being allowed to buy advertising on Google platforms, campaigns will be required to verify their identity, and approved ads will be required to display the identity of their purchaser. Google will build a real-time searchable database of all political ads and show their purchasers, costs, and demographics. Facebook announced similar changes in October 2017. However, critics continue to express concern that these systems can be bypassed, and that the rules governing political advertising should be made via open, democratic processes rather than by the internet companies themselves.

https://www.ft.com/content/0e4b25ea-edb4-11e8-89c8-d36339d835c0
Writer: Madhumita Murgia
Publication: Financial Times
tags: democracy, political advertising, Facebook, Google, transparency