Facebook is contemplating a move to suspend all political advertising on its platform ahead of the 2020 US Presidential election.
Facebook is now a teenager, and as such, it questions its role in the world and is ready to “revolt” against everything, including itself. According to Bloomberg, the company is currently discussing a possible ban on all political advertising on its platform.
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Sources at Facebook told us that such a ban is being reviewed in response to the spread of misinformation and voter suppression on the platform.
Facebook has come under fire in recent weeks for not trying to stop politically-motivated fake news and hate speech. The company is not only facing a never-seen-before advertising ban from some of its largest brand clients but is also bring heavily criticized by its users and its own employees.
Political campaigns spend a lot on Facebook which has been the preferred medium of disseminating election information for government officials. President Donald Trump is thought to have allocated over $90 million to advertise on Facebook as part of his reelection campaign. In response, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has spent $5 million over the course of just a few days last week.
It goes without saying, a ban on political ads would have a huge impact on Facebook’s bottom line. It will also send a strong signal to users and advertisers.