Recent scandals involving Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and Russian electoral interference suggest a new sheriff is needed to restore order in the Wild West of online political advertising.
The most likely candidate for this role at present is the Honest Ads Act, a bi-partisan piece of legislation unveiled in the Senate last year, and with provisions that include the following:
- Digital platforms with over 50 million unique monthly users must build a “complete record” of advertisers that spend $500+ on political ads per year.
Providing a digital rendering of every ad is also mandatory, alongside details of the target audience, pricing,...