Thread by @JuddLegum

1. I don't think people fully understand how dysfunctional and dangerous Facebook's political ad policy is

Yes, people know Facebook allows politicians and parties to lie

But it's so much worse

This is important, so I'm going to explain in detail.

2. Facebook says, except for candidates and parties, political ads are subject to fact checking

This isn't trivial. Super PACs play a huge role in politics and are going to be spending big bucks on Facebook

So how are these ads fact-checked?

3. First, Facebook takes the money.

Then Facebook starts running the ad on the platform.

THERE IS ZERO EFFORT TO FACT CHECK ANY POLITICAL AD BEFORE ITS PUBLISHED

Facebook will show any political ad to as many people as you can afford with no fact-checking

4. So where does fact-checking come in?

If there are a lot of reports, or Facebook's automated systems are triggered, Facebook will put the ad into a cue where third party fact checkers can fact check it IF THEY FEEL LIKE IT

No amount of reports guarantees a fact check

5. The 3rd fact-checkers Facebook partners with are generally competent (some exceptions) but they are also vastly under-resourced and paid peanuts by Facebook.

The idea that Facebook, a $500 billion company, is shifting all responsibility to this small group of people is absurd

6. But lets say you get lucky and a fact-checker decides to check a particular ad.

It probably won't make any difference

It takes most fact-checkers a few days to produce a rating. By that time, the ad has already stopped running. Facebook has its money and the lie has spread

7. OK, but at least future ads making the same claims won't be allowed to run on Facebook, right?

WRONG

Facebook's position is that each ad must be rated independently. If it contains claims already ruled false by Facebook's factcheckers, that makes no difference.

8. And that's why the Committee to Defend the President, a pro-Trump Super PAC, is running a bogus ad that calls Biden a criminal and Facebook is doing nothing about it.

Facebook knows about the ad, knows that it's false, but will do nothing

popular.info/p/facebook-all…

9. Look, it's not 1992. Online ads are a big deal. They could determine the outcome of the 2020 election

That's why I'm spending time on this. The only way anything happens is with intense public scrutiny

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