Facebook Seeks Waiver of FEC Ad Rule

Some Facebook users complain that the company is less than diligent in protecting their privacy. But the company is working hard on one area of privacy for its advertisers, Politico reports. It wants an exemption from Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules requiring campaign advertisements to include a listing of who paid for them.

Facebook lawyers contend that ads on the site shouldn’t have to include the information because of the limited space for text on its web pages. “With some mediums . . . e.g. bumper stickers, buttons, pens, T-shirts, concert tickets, and text messages, it is inconvenient or impracticable to include a disclaimer,” Facebook lawyers at Perkins Coie wrote the FEC in their request for an advisory opinion.

The FEC decided last year that short political ads bought through Google’s AdWords service don’t need to include the disclosure.