Facebook plans on suspending all political ads following the 2020 US presidential election. By doing this, the platform aims to prevent confusion over the election results.

Facebook Wants Clear Election Results

Facebook vice president of integrity, Guy Rosen, announced in an About Facebook blog post that the platform will temporarily block political, electoral, and social issue ads even after the polls close on Election Day. According to Facebook, a ban on these types of ads will "reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse."

Facebook has already stated that it will stop running political ads in the week of the election. But now that Facebook has extended this temporary ban, political ads face an indefinite suspension starting one week before Election Day.

The platform is also addressing the concern that a candidate could declare a premature victory, resulting in confusion. With the increase in mail-in voting, the results of this election could come days after the polls close. This leaves room for politicians to make false claims about election results.

To combat any possible confusion, Facebook will clearly state the status of the election in a notification at the top of both the Facebook and Instagram apps.

Facebook Votes Counting Notification
Image Credit: Facebook

The notification will inform users whether votes are still being counted, and will also show the projected winner. When a major media outlet declares an official winner, Facebook will prominently display their name at the top of the Facebook and Instagram apps, and will also provide a link to the Voting Information Center.

Facebook Election Results Notification
Image Credit: Facebook

In addition, Facebook has already taken steps to combat misinformation about the legitimacy of the election. It attaches labels to any content that may discourage people from voting, and instead provides "reliable information about the integrity of the election and voting methods."

Rosen also noted that Facebook won't tolerate content that intimidates voters, stating:

We will also remove calls for people to engage in poll watching when those calls use militarized language or suggest that the goal is to intimidate, exert control, or display power over election officials or voters.

As Election Day gets closer, Facebook is preparing for chaos. Nick Clegg, Facebook vice president of global affairs and communications, has already said that Facebook may even restrict content on Election Day if things get violent.

Facebook Hunkers Down As Election Day Nears

Facebook is under an immense amount of pressure to stop the spread of harmful content and misinformation about the election. Especially after the platform has garnered a reputation of collecting user data to influence elections, it has a lot to prove.