The Federal Election Commission (FEC) this week issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, asking for public comment on proposals for requiring “disclaimers” on online ads and fundraising. Under each of two similar proposals, paid Internet ads that expressly advocate for candidates or that solicit political donations must state who paid for the ad and whether it was authorized by a candidate. The rules would impact websites, blast emails, and ads paid for by a political committee, regardless of their content.
The FEC rulemaking responds to mounting concerns about the influence of Russian-linked social media activity during the 2016 presidential election, as well as years of ambiguity about when and how the agency’s rules apply to emerging platforms and technology.Continue Reading The Federal Election Commission Proposes Rules for Online Political Advertising