The verified group name will be listed on
the “paid for by” disclaimers that disclose
the backers of ads. Facebook says it will
verify this information against government
records and will note in the disclaimer for
confirmed ads that they’re placed by a
“confirmed organization.”
That process won’t apply to everyone, as
Facebook says it would bar some smaller
but legitimate groups from advertising. But
a loophole that will allow small grassroots
groups and local politicians to run political ads
could also continue to allow bad actors to take
advantage of the process.
Advertisers who don’t have tax ID numbers,
government websites or registrations with
the Federal Election Commission will still be
able to post ads by providing an address,
verifiable phone number and business email.
These advertisers won’t get a “confirmed”
designation. Previously, only a U.S. address was
required. But it’s not inconceivable that bad
actors will find a way to spoof phone numbers
and email addresses.
“We’ve acknowledged that these tools will
not be perfect,” Sarah Schiff, a Facebook
product manager, said in an email. “But we
are committed to making it more difficult for
bad actors to misuse and abuse our platform”
without penalizing smaller organizations.
Schiff also reiterated the company’s calls for
regulation of online political advertising. Critics
have said that Facebook’s attempts at self-
regulation are merely a way for the company to
pre-empt stricter government crackdowns.