Twitter changes its rules of procedure, once again. © SOPA Images / Getty Images
Twitter just announced the return of political ads. It will soon be possible to broadcast committed advertising campaigns on the social network newly acquired by Elon Musk. Twitter’s Security and Protection team announced the news on Tuesday, January 3. This practice was banned in 2019 by former CEO Jack Dorsey.
“Facilitate conversation around important topics“
“Today, we’re relaxing our ad policy for cause-based ads in the United States. We also plan to expand the political advertising we allow in the coming weeks. As with all policy changes, we will first ensure that our approach to reviewing and approving content protects people on Twitter. We will share more details as this work progresses.“, announced the Safety Twitter account on Tuesday.
The new rules in this area will be indexed to those already in force in the field of traditional media (such as television).
Moving forward, we will align our advertising policy with that of TV and other media outlets. As with all policy changes, we will first ensure that our approach to reviewing and approving content protects people on Twitter. We’ll share more details as this work progresses.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 3, 2023
This decision is intended to generate more engaging conversations on certain major topics with the general public. “We believe cause-based advertising can facilitate public conversation around important topics.”explains the Safety team.
This decision is fully in line with the line of conduct promoted by Elon Musk in recent months, the businessman indeed wishing to establish total freedom of expression on his platform.
Discordant vision of Jack Dorsey
The ban on political ads on Twitter was enacted in 2019 by Jack Dorsey, then boss of the social network. A decision taken in a particular context of the spread of false information less than a year before the American presidential election, and shortly after the revelation of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. For Jack Dorsey, political advertising is absolutely not a matter of freedom of expression. “We’re talking here about paying to be heard“, he recalled.
A final note. 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.
—jack (@jack) October 30, 2019
“While Internet advertising is incredibly powerful and highly effective for commercial advertisers, this power carries significant risks for politics, where it can be used to sway votes and affect the lives of millions. Paying to increase the reach of a political discourse has significant ramifications that the current democratic infrastructure may not be ready to handle.“, still recalled the former CEO of the blue bird in a thread.