The platform is overturning the former CEO Jack Dorsey’s choice as a demonstration of its dedication to promoting free speech
X, previously recognized as Twitter, is ending its prohibition on political advertising in the United States. This shift in policy, which drew considerable attention, had been initiated in 2019 during the tenure of former CEO Jack Dorsey. Dorsey’s rationale for this decision had been clearly expressed: “This isn’t about free expression.
This is about paying for reach. And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle. It’s worth stepping back in order to address.”
However, following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform and his strong emphasis on the importance of free speech, the ban has been reversed less than a year later.
This development has implications for various stakeholders. Advocacy organizations may view it as a positive development, while businesses with no political affiliations may have concerns about their association with a platform disseminating political messages that diverge from their core values.
The timing of this announcement coincides with X’s prior relaxation of its policy on cause-based advertisements in the United States earlier in January. This suggests that a policy adjustment had been on the horizon. It’s noteworthy that this policy shift occurs just over a year ahead of the upcoming US Presidential election, indicating X’s preparedness for the political advertising landscape.
X’s spokesperson provided the following statement :
In line with our dedication to upholding free expression, we will permit political advertising.” “Commencing in the United States, we will maintain distinct guidelines for paid promotional political content.
This entails forbidding the promotion of deceptive or erroneous information, particularly information designed to erode trust in an election, all while safeguarding the principles of open and free political conversation.”
We will also establish a worldwide advertising transparency center, enabling everyone to scrutinize promoted political content on X. Additionally, we will implement rigorous screening procedures to ensure that only qualified groups and campaigns have the ability to engage in advertising.
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