Political ads: Facebook, Twitter, Google tell Bombay HC it will only publish ads EC approves

Facebook, Twitter, Google and YouTube told the Bombay high court on Monday they will only publish political advertisements certified by the Election Commission of India (ECI), and after the authenticity of the ad and the issuer has been verified.

General elections in India are a few months away. The submissions are significant not only because of the upcoming elections, but also after a controversy surrounding political ads on Facebook ahead of the 2016 US elections revealed how social media could be misused by elements within and outside a country in an election year.

Since January, all three companies — Twitter, Google and Facebook — have been making amends to their advertising policies in India and introducing changes to ensure transparency of political ads posted on their platforms.