FEC Proposing New Ad Disclosure Rules for Online Political Ads

FEC Proposing New Ad Disclosure Rules for Online Political Ads

As the fallout from the 2016 Election continues, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is considering expanding and adding new disclosure requirements for all online political ads. This would require online ads to have the same disclaimer requirements from the ad sponsor that are currently in place for Radio, Television and Print ads.

What this means for marketers: If implemented, this change would have a significant impact on online advertisers like Google, Facebook and Twitter, whose systems are not designed to specifically include these types of disclaimers. Online advertisers will likely block or try to work directly with the FEC to address both the need for transparency in online political ads and the limitations of each advertiser’s system.

Political Advertisers will likely see the results of these proposed changes look similar to how Google AdWords modified how they handle prescription drug advertising several years ago. Their “Black Box” Pharma ad unit must include information on not only the most serious risks, but also the benefits. These restrictions ensure the best behavior while meeting FDA requirements.