Well, it’s that time of the year again. The elections are approaching and social media is abuzz with politicians and voters alike voicing their opinions. And if that isn’t what these platforms are about, then what is? With a user base of over 1.6 billion, Facebook is the chosen one when it comes to advertising with regard to politics. So, if you’re looking to stay updated on the latest goings-on in the world of politics, here is all you need to know.
What are political ads on Facebook
Political ads on Facebook do not necessarily have to be created by the parties running for office. While anyone can create these ads, you need to upload your identification, including your Social security number. Yes, Facebook takes political ads quite seriously.
Facebook takes a different path as compared to Twitter and Google (who are downplaying the number of political ads on their platforms), in which it embraces transparency in terms of political ads. Now, when you click on a political ad you can gain insights into who paid for the ad, why Facebook thinks this ad relates to you, and more.
Political ads do not only have to be about elections and candidates. They can also cover social issues, ballot initiatives, and other such topics.
How to turn on political ads on Facebook (again)
If you feel like you may have been missing out on updates from political goings-on, you can turn on political ads on your Facebook account. Turning on political ads lets Facebook know that you are ok with such advertising.
On PC (Facebook.com)
To turn on political ads on your Facebook account using your PC, first go to the Facebook website and sign in with your credentials. Now click on the dropdown arrow in the top right corner, and select Settings & privacy > Settings.
In the left panel, scroll down and click ‘Ads’. Now click on ‘Ad Topics’.
Click on the three dots next to ‘Social Issues, Elections or Politics’ and uncheck ‘See fewer ads about this topic.’
On Facebook mobile app
You can also turn on political ads on your Facebook account right from your phone. To turn on political ads using the Facebook mobile app, launch the app, and tap on the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings. Now scroll down to ‘Ad Preferences’ under ‘Ads’.
Tap ‘Ad topics’, then the three dots to the right of ‘Social Issues, Elections or Politics’. Uncheck ‘See fewer ads about this topic.’
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How to turn off political ads on Facebook
If you feel like you are overwhelmed with the number of political ads suddenly populating your Facebook Feed, you might want to restrict them. This new feature that lets you restrict political ads on Facebook has gotten a lot of flak from users, especially campaigners.
On PC (Facebook.com)
Turning off political ads on your account follows the same procedure as turning them on. To opt-out of having political ads on your Facebook account using your PC, sign in to your Facebook account and click on the dropdown arrow in the top right corner.
Now go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Ads > Ad Topics. Click on the three dots besides ‘Social Issues, Elections or Politics’, and select ‘See fewer ads about this topic’.
On Facebook mobile app
Similarly, you can opt-out of having political ads on your Facebook Feed right from your phone. Launch the Facebook app, and tap on the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings. Now scroll down to ‘Ad Preferences’ under ‘Ads’.
Tap ‘Ad topics’, then the three dots to the right of ‘Social Issues, Elections or Politics’. Select ‘See fewer ads about this topic’.
Click on ‘Confirmed organization’ right underneath the Ad. Then click or tap ‘See fewer ads about this topic’, and then again on ‘See fewer ads about this topic’ in blue color button.
What happens when you turn off political ads on Facebook
Turning off political ads on Facebook restricts the number of political ads that Facebook will allow on your Feed. Facebook claims that selecting the option to ‘See fewer ads about this topic’ should actually completely stop any political ads from showing on your Feed, but there is still a chance that a few could slip through.
Once you change your preference to see fewer political ads, you must refresh your Facebook Feed to see the difference.
You can always change the setting at any point if you suddenly feel like keeping up with the coming elections.
This new feature to restrict political ads is currently only available for Facebook users in the U.S. However, Facebook claims that the function should be reaching other countries soon. What do you think about Facebook’s option to opt-in or out for advertising? Let us know in the comments below.
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