TikTok, Meta, Google state policies on paid political ads
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MANILA, Philippines — Paid political ads are not allowed in TikTok at all while Google restricts such but only during the campaign period. Meta, on the other hand, allows it, but with several restrictions.
The country’s representatives of these tech giants reiterated their company policies during their pledge of support for Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s programs for 2025 midterm elections on Monday.
READ: How TikTok is shaping politics
Peachy Paderna, public policy manager of TikTok, reiterated the company’s longstanding policy.
“People are free to discuss political matters on the platform, but we don’t allow paid political advertising,” Paderna said in a press conference after the event at Palacio del Gobernador.
Article continues after this advertisement“We have been implementing this policy for a while now, and so this is not a new precedent that we’re setting,” she said.
Article continues after this advertisementPaderna said the policy is implemented as the company wants “to foster an environment of positive dialogue.”
“The reason why we don’t allow political advertising is because we don’t want to be a venue for division. We don’t want people to be divided. We want people to come together to exchange ideas freely and safely and positively,” she also said.
She noted that TikTok takes down paid political advertising on their platform.
Google does not also allow political ads but only during campaign period or prohibition of campaign, according to Yves Gonzales, who is part of the search engine’s government affairs and public policy team.
Gonzales said that during the campaign period and the “silent period”, Google does not allow in its platforms “ads that promote or oppose any political party or the candidacy of any person or party for public office.”
Campaign period for next year’s elections will begin in February 2025.
On the other hand, Meta allows political ads in its platforms like Facebook and Instagram, according to its public policy manager Genixon David.
“We allow political ads on Facebook, Instagram for two things: Number one, we want to promote transparency, and second is, we want to give equal opportunity for all, we want to be a voice for smaller parties,” David said.
David, however, said Meta puts several regulations in place, like only allowing advertisers to do political ads only in their own country. He also said that Meta has something called Ads Library where the advertisers history could be seen and is stored for seven years.
