Facebook Blocks 2.2 Million Ads Attempting To 'Obstruct Voting' in the US Election

Facebook stated on Monday that it had taken down 120,000 posts for contravening its "voter interference policies." It had rejected 2.2 million advertisements because they had not yet been permitted to run electoral ads.

According to Nick Clegg, the social media network's Vice President of Global Affairs and Communications, they barred the advertisements throughout their platforms for attempting to interfere with the upcoming United States presidential election on November 3.

Clegg underscored how seriously Facebook is taking foreign threats attempting to influence the U.S. election. Aside from Facebook, its sister company Instagram is also attempting to obstruct voting prior to the election.

The executive used an interview as an opportunity to promote the size of the social network's team. Clegg stated there are 35,000 individuals handling security and partnerships with 70 designated media outlets contributing in fact-checking, reported Yahoo.

Clegg also divulged that Facebook affixed warning labels to 150 million posts for spreading fake information regarding voting in the U.S. presidential election.

The advertisements contravene the social media platform's guidelines on ads regarding elections, social issues, or politics.

Clegg disclosed to French newspaper Journal du Dimanche on Saturday that the website had coordinated with 70 specialized media outlets, including five in France, for data verification.

He stated that Facebook's AI moderators had "made it possible to delete billions of posts and fake accounts, even before they are reported by users," reported Agence France Presse.

The news comes in the midst of pressure on the social media site to tackle fake news prior to the election.

Also Read: Facebook Takes Down 150 Fake Chinese Pages Targetting US Presidential Election

Facebook's most recent efforts to alleviate misinformation follows Facebook banning QAnon content.

Mark Zuckerberg's website reprimanded the far-right conspiracy group by barring all content, excluding those published from an individual profile.

According to the Facebook Vice President, the firm is better equipped for the election this time in contrast to their efforts in 2016. Clegg stated Facebook has learned from elections globally about taking control of the situation.

Voter suppression campaigns have threatened the social networking site before. The Cambridge Analytica scandal was reportedly the most notable case. The firm was hired by Trump's party for its digital efforts in 2016 but dissolved in 2018 after the fallout from its improper data collection attempts.

New research published on October 12 indicated misinformation on the website was three times as popular as it was during the 2016 election. During that time, fake accounts associated with Russia bought thousands of advertisements in order to control voters.

With regard to QAnon, Facebook indicated it is a "recognized militarized social movement," which is prohibited under their guidelines.

Facebook wrote: "Starting today, we will remove any Facebook Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts representing QAnon, even if they contain no violent content. This is an update from the initial policy in August that removed Pages, Groups, and Instagram accounts associated with QAnon when they discussed potential violence while imposing a series of restrictions to limit the reach of other Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts associated with the movement," reported Drew Reports News.