Find out who is paying for the ads you see on social media

Using Facebook could bring benefits for older adults according to new research, helping them to feel less socially isolated. — AFP Relaxnews

In light of the controversy over political advertising’s impact on elections, two social media giants are becoming more transparent by revealing who is behind the advertisements.

In a post in the Facebook newsroom, product management director Rob Leathern and product marketing director Emma Rodgers said the company is taking significant steps to bring more transparency to ads and Pages on Facebook.

“Giving people more information about any organisation and the ads it’s currently running will mean increased accountability for advertisers, helping to prevent abuse on Facebook,” they explained.

The key feature is a new section on Pages called “Info and Ads”, which will show the adverts the Page is running across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and their partner network, even if those ads aren’t shown to user.

For instance, a check of Info and Ads of the United States’ President’s Page, Donald J. Trump, showed it was not promoting ads in Malaysia, but in the United States it has sponsored posts that’s paid for by Donald J. Trump for President Inc.

Users can also flag anything suspicious by clicking on “Report Ad”.

Users can also learn more about Pages’ activity, such as any recent name changes and the date the Page was created.

Facebook says it will be adding more Page information in the coming weeks.

The company claims most of the ads on Facebook are run by legitimate organisations, whether it’s a small business looking for new customers, advocacy groups raising money for their causes, or a politician running for office.

“But we’ve seen that bad actors can misuse our products, too. These steps are just the start – we’re always looking for more ways to improve. By shining a bright light on all ads, as well as the Pages that run them, we’ll make it easier to root out abuse – helping to ensure that bad actors are held accountable for the ads they run,” they say.

Twitter is also pushing for greater transparency – users can search for advertisers and see the details behind ads, including Promoted-only Tweets, or if an ad was suspended and why.

“Twitter is a platform that enables global conversation, and we believe that transparency is a core part of who we are,” it says, on its Ads Transparency Center.

It adds that those searching for advertisers running campaigns for federal elections will see additional details, including the identity of the organisation funding the campaign and ad targeting demographics.