Facebook takes a stand on Political Ads

       In the previous weeks, Facebook has been under some intense scrutiny over its treatment of political ads and other controversial items on the site. The company has recently stated that, though it will begin moderating news sites and commercial advertisers that spread misinformation, it will not censor or delete political ads. Facebook says it will make exceptions for political ads that specifically incite violence.

       This brings up many questions about the rights and responsibilities that private platforms have when it comes to the first amendment. Facebook has no legal obligation to allow free speech as the Bill of Rights states it; however, both Facebook and its users benefit from some amount of freedom. Most areas censored on Facebook are non-controversial, such as threats, gore, pornography, bullying, and pages relating to terrorism, but issues of ill-defined “hate speech” and misinformation often gather much media attention.

       On the topic of political ads, there are arguments on both sides for Facebook moderating or not moderating. Many claim that, if a politician is spreading misinformation, this is valuable information for the public to know. On the other hand, many also say that it is not right for politicians to mislead the public on such a large scale. Either way, this is an issue that will likely continue to be discussed for years to come. If you are interested in reading more about this topic, click here to read an article.