X Will Allow Political Ads From Candidates And Parties Ahead Of The US Election

X will allow political ads from candidates and parties ahead of the US election

X, previously known as Twitter, announced its decision to permit political advertising in the United States for political candidates and parties on Tuesday. The company is expanding its security team in anticipation of the 2024 presidential election. Prior to billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company in October, Twitter had enforced a global ban on all political advertisements, a policy that began in 2019.

However, in January, Twitter lifted this ban and began allowing “cause-based ads” in the U.S., which focused on raising awareness about issues such as voter registration. Twitter also expressed intentions to broaden the spectrum of political advertisements permitted on its platform.

The move to allow political advertising in the U.S. could potentially boost X’s revenue, especially during a period when many advertisers had withdrawn or reduced their spending on the platform due to concerns about appearing alongside inappropriate content. X revealed in a blog post on Tuesday that it would expand its teams dedicated to countering content manipulation and addressing “emerging threats”.

Furthermore, the company announced plans to establish a global ad transparency centre, which allows users to monitor the promotion of political ads on X. It also reaffirmed its commitment to prohibiting political ads that disseminate false information or attempt to undermine public confidence in elections. Like other social media companies, X has faced longstanding criticism from researchers and lawmakers for not taking sufficient measures to prevent the spread of misleading or fake content during significant elections.

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company, X has come under scrutiny, particularly concerning its preparedness for the U.S. presidential election, as it previously laid off numerous employees, including members of the trust and safety team.