Political ads have been everywhere this election cycle and now that the election results are wrapping up, many may be wondering, ‘When will the political messages stop?’ Well, it depends on the platform.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it would expand its block on new election ads that started on Tuesday, Oct. 29, to a few days after the final polls closed on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Meta’s policy restricts “new social issues, electoral, and political ads” from being displayed during the final week of the U.S. general election in an effort to fight voter disinformation. The extension of the block is because of votes still being counted.
Google is also blocking all election ads following the polls closing for the same reason as Meta. Last election cycle, Google did not end the pause until December.
However, for those watching television or listening to radio, they may not be able to escape the political ads.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has no rules on when political advertising has to stop airing, meaning an individual could be hearing or seeing issue or campaign ads for a while.
Officials say campaign ads usually fall off post-election but advertisements focusing on issues typically continue throughout the year.
The only things the FCC has control over when it comes to political ads are rules governing fairness for political ads and candidates, not how often or how long an ad can run for.
