Seattle's election board is at the vanguard of a broader debate over transparency in digital ads. And it looks this whole fight was set into motion by a reporter for Seattle's alt-weekly, @TheStrangerhttps://twitter.com/brendan_fischer/status/960935635354882057 …
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Seattle code appears to require platforms that sell digital ads in municipal elections to disclose the "exact nature and extent of the advertising services rendered," but a reporter was shut down when he asked Facebook and Google for this info... https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/12/04/25606100/were-asking-the-tech-giants-to-comply-with-seattles-law-on-political-ad-transparency-will-they …pic.twitter.com/B6F2anIhQ8
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Seattle's election board then asked Facebook and Google to comply with the law, and they asked for an extension. Facebook even flew-up to Seattle for an in-person meeting.https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/01/02/25668569/facebook-and-google-say-they-need-more-time-to-comply-with-seattles-election-transparency-law …
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Facebook told Seattle it was "taking this matter very seriously." It then sent a letter a declaring its commitment to "transparency and accountability," but only turning over a spreadsheet that doesn't disclose much of anything. https://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2018/02/04/1517794208-2018.02.02_letter_to_w._barnett_with_attachment.pdf …https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/02/05/25781471/seattle-says-facebook-has-failed-to-follow-law-on-election-ad-transparency …
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If Seattle seeks penalties against Facebook, it would likely be a first. But it won't be the last: as digital political spending continues to migrate online, we can expect to see more state and local agencies seeking greater political ad transparency from digital platforms.
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