Times are changing. That means the way we communicate has changed. Politicians eager to jump on trends know this. That’s why both Republicans and Democrats are vying to corner this huge market.
A ton of money is spent online. Certain websites flourish, thanks to their millions of users. Companies pump cash into social networks, news sites, and blogs.
And so do candidates. The FEC has become aware of massive spending on certain online ads. And they’re looking to make some changes.
From Washington Examiner:
The Federal Election Commission, trying to catch up to the internet age, is proposing to apply sweeping new regulations to online ads as tiny as those appearing on a smartphone.
Dueling Republican and Democratic proposals offered Wednesday are aimed at tackling the $1.4 billion online political advertising market. That spending record set in 2016 is 780 percent higher than it was 10 years ago.
The agency is bidding to address the huge shift by political campaigns away from costly TV, print and radio ads to Facebook, Google and Twitter and other online platforms including those managed by media outlets…
In Wednesday’s action, the FEC voted 4-0 to study the two proposals to capture online ads in new regulation.
This is all happening because of Donald Trump’s election. Democrats panicked. They blame Facebook and social media for his win. (Anything to not blame themselves). Now they want to use the same tactic in the mid-terms. Both parties are dumping serious amounts of cash in online campaign ads.
That’s not a huge surprise, is it? Millions of people use YouTube, Facebook, and other social networks. Many more than TV, these days. Why wouldn’t campaigns take advantage of that?
But is regulation the answer? What kind of rules does the FEC want to impose? Will it make more honest advertising? Better means of communicating with voters? Or will it hamper elections—giving wealthy candidates a bigger advantage?
Right now, they just want a few simple changes. But that can snowball in the coming years. Expect the commission to pass as many rules as possible.
Source: Washington Examiner
