Platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has overturned its ban on political advertising – just in time for the presidential elections in the US.
The ban, which was introduced in October 2019, is initially to be lifted in the US. Elon Musk, the owner of X, has justified the move by saying that freedom of speech should be given more room. In addition, he spoke of taking stronger action against fake news. A blog post from X said, “During the election, X is working on a number of tactics that people will use to influence the process. To that end, we’re hiring the right people, updating our policies, and evolving our product.”
Reauthorization also justified by freedom of speech
Furthermore, it also explicitly talks about policies during elections: “We have rules in place to protect the security and authenticity of conversations on X. We also have a Civic Integrity Policy. During elections, our Civic Integrity Policy provides an additional layer of protection that applies for a limited period before and during an election.” Regarding political advertising, the company writes, “Building on our commitment to free expression, we will also allow political advertising. Beginning in the U.S., we will continue to apply specific guidelines to paid political advertising. This includes prohibiting the promotion of false or misleading content, including false or misleading information intended to undermine public confidence in an election, while seeking to preserve free and open political discourse.”
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