Silicon Valley resist transparency on ad buys

NY Times:

Tech Lobby Resists Calls to Reveal Online Ad Buyers

Senator John McCain and two Democratic senators will move on Thursday to force Facebook, Google and other internet companies to disclose who buys political ads.

But the tech industry is mobilizing an army of lobbyists and lawyers to help shape regulations proposed in response to Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
This is a case where more disclosure is a good thing.  We already require it for TV political ads.  It should not be just about Russian meddling.  It should also reach ads placed by hostile groups from all sides.  It is not a foolproof correction to a problem.  I suspect the Russians or some other group will use front groups to sponsor the ads.

I would also like to see a requirement that when a company refused to allow ads to run on YouTube sites, as is their right, that should also be disclosed so that supporters of those sites can decide whether they want to engage in commerce with those former sponsors.  Left-wing companies have a right to say where their ads cannot be placed, but if they do it because they do not like the content of conservative sites, the conservatives should have a right to know that too.

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