Honest Ads Act

Honest Ads Act

This bill applies requirements, limitations, and protections regarding political advertising in traditional media to paid internet or digital political advertising. The bill sets forth special rules for disclosure statements for certain internet or digital ads.

Each television or radio station, provider of cable or satellite television, or online platform must ensure that the political advertising it hosts is not directly or indirectly purchased by a foreign national.

The bill outlines political record requirements for online platforms, including by requiring these platforms to publish a record of any qualified political advertisement purchased by a person whose aggregate purchases of qualified political advertisements on the platform during the calendar year exceeds $500.

Additionally, these online platforms must display notices with online political advertisements that identify the sponsor of the advertisement.

The Honest Ads Act, also known as Bill 118 hr 2599, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress with the aim of increasing transparency in online political advertising. The bill requires online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google to maintain a public database of political ads purchased on their platforms. This database would include information about the ad's target audience, the amount spent on the ad, and the identity of the individual or organization purchasing the ad.

The Honest Ads Act also requires online platforms to make reasonable efforts to ensure that foreign entities are not purchasing political ads to influence US elections. This includes implementing measures to verify the identity and location of individuals or organizations purchasing political ads.

Additionally, the bill requires online platforms to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that political ads are labeled as such and include information about who paid for the ad. This is intended to provide greater transparency to voters and help them make informed decisions about the information they are exposed to online. Overall, the Honest Ads Act aims to address concerns about foreign interference in US elections and increase transparency in online political advertising. It has received bipartisan support in Congress and is seen as a step towards safeguarding the integrity of US elections.