Ads about Social Issues, Elections or Politics

Advertisers can run ads about social issues, elections or politics, provided the advertiser complies with all applicable laws and the authorization process required by Meta. Meta may restrict issue, electoral or political ads. In addition, certain content related to elections may be prohibited by local law or removed in specific regions ahead of voting; click here for more.

This policy promotes transparency, accountability and authenticity. It requires enhanced transparency from elected and appointed officials, candidates for office, and advertisers of content that includes social issues, electoral or political ad content.

Any advertiser running ads about social issues, elections or politics who is located in or targeting people in designated countries must complete the authorization process required by Meta, except for news publishers identified by Meta. This applies to any ad that:

• Is made by, on behalf of or about a candidate for public office, a political figure, a political party, a political action committee or advocates for the outcome of an election to public office
• Is about any election, referendum or ballot initiative, including "get out the vote" or election information campaigns
• Is about any social issue in any place where the ad is being run
• Is regulated as political advertising

Requirements vary by country.

Advertisers must include a verified "Paid for by" disclaimer on these ads to show the entity or person responsible for running the ad across Meta technologies. The disclaimer is subject to restrictions.

Advertisers running these ads, regardless of location, targeting, or news exemptions, must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to requirements involving:

• Disclaimer, disclosure and ad labeling
• Blackout periods
• Foreign interference
• Spending limits and reporting requirements

If ads do not include a disclaimer and we determine the ad content includes content about social issues, elections or politics, it will be disapproved during ad review. If an ad is already running, it can be flagged by automated systems or reported by our community and, if found to be violating our policy by missing a disclaimer, it will be disapproved and added to the Ad Library.

Advertisers must also disclose when a social issue, elections, or political ad contains a photorealistic image or video, or realistic sounding audio, that was digitally created or altered to:

• Depict a real person as saying or doing something they did not say or do; or
• Depict a realistic-looking person that does not exist or a realistic-looking event that did not happen, or alter footage of a real event that happened; or
• Depict a realistic event that allegedly occurred, but that is not a true image, video, or audio recording of the event.

If we determine that an advertiser has not disclosed as required, we will reject the ad, and repeated failure to disclose may result in penalties against the advertiser.

Ads must not run in or be targeted at the state of Washington when the ads relate to Washington's state or local elected officials, candidates, elections or ballot initiatives. In addition, ads must not run in or be targeted at the state of Washington when the ads relate to Seattle legislation.

In the United States, Brazil, India, Israel, Mexico, Member States of the European Union (EU), and the United Kingdom, ads must not discourage people from voting or call into question the legitimacy of an upcoming or ongoing election, or contain premature claims of election victory.

• Learn how to run ads about social issues, elections or politics in the Business Help Center
• Begin the authorization process at facebook.com/id
• Learn about how we review ads about social issues, elections or politics and review text examples in the Business Help Center