INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Authors: Super UserImage copyrightPAImage caption
Google will log who buys adverts and let people search an archive of
election content
Google is demanding that those placing political ads during the forthcoming US elections must prove they
are US citizens or permanent residents.The demand is part of an update to its policies that tries to make political adverts more
"transparent".In addition, advertisers must reveal who has put up the cash for the advert.Social media firms have updated their policies in
the wake of revelations that their ad platforms have been abused by Russian propaganda outfits.Google's new policy follow similar changes at
Twitter and Facebook governing who can buy space for political adverts.In a blog announcing the change, Kent Walker, a Google senior
vice-president, said the changes made good on a 2017 commitment to be more open about who funds political adverts."Advertisers will have to
provide a government-issued ID and other key information," said Mr Walker.In addition, he said, Google would release a transparency report
in the summer that only deals with election-based advertising
This would detail who bought ads and how much money they spent
It is also collecting political ads in a database that anyone will be able to search
Initially, the ID demands will only apply to US elections, but Google said it hoped to extend the more stringent controls to other votes and
campaigning seasons.Both Facebook and Twitter have pledged to release more information about who buys political ads on their respective
They also introduced tighter controls on who can buy ads.Those changes came in response to a series of reports which suggested that Russian
actors with links to the Kremlin had been buying political adverts and targeting them at American voters.Facebook said the ads, of which
there were about 3,000, did not support any particular candidate, but instead shared inflammatory information on sensitive topics such as
immigration.In November 2018, US mid-term elections will be held which will see hundreds of US politicians up for re-election.
