Sign if you agree: I support disclaimer rules for internet campaign ads
The Federal Election Commission
Thanks to exerted public pressure, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is creating rules on internet campaign ad disclaimers — and this could be our chance to ensure that the names of the people behind internet ads are made public before the 2018 elections.
But the FEC’s proposed rules are not strong enough — and the agency is taking public comments on the rulemaking, so we need to speak out.
Daily Kos is working closely with Public Citizen, Common Cause, and many others to collect as many signatures as possible before the Friday deadline. Add your name and we’ll submit this comment and a list of signers to the FEC.
Sign if you agree: I support disclaimer rules for internet campaign ads.
Sponsored by
To:
The Federal Election Commission
From:
[Your Name]
To protect our elections, the FEC’s Internet Communication Disclaimers rule should be comprehensive and modern, and take into account the ways that internet advertising is different from other forms of advertising.
Internet campaign ads must be required to include either a full disclaimer or, if size or format makes a full disclaimer impractical, then a shortened disclaimer such as “Paid for by…” with a link that goes directly to a full disclaimer. The funder of an ad must be made explicit because most people do not bother clicking on links.
The disclaimer rules should be in place as soon as possible. Dark money ads and Russian meddling influenced the 2016 election, and without these rules in place, it will happen again in 2018.
Finally, the FEC should make public copies of all paid internet political messages, as well as their funding sources and target audiences. Libraries like this already exist for television advertising under the Communications Act of 1934. Similar rules for internet ads will ensure enforcement of laws against foreign meddling in our elections.