Now that the Georgia runoffs are over, Facebook is reinforcing its ban on political ads from users in the state
- Facebook said Tuesday it will reinstate the ban on all political advertisements in Georgia following the runoff elections on Wednesday.
- Georgia now joins the rest of the US in Facebook's nationwide ban of all political ads. There is no mention of when this might be lifted.
- Facebook temporarily allowed political ads in Georgia on December 16 before the runoffs began as feedback from experts and advertisers said ads were a tool of information.
- Facebook said users should post "organically" and run ads that weren't related to politics, social issues or elections.
Facebook announced Tuesday it will ban all political advertising in Georgia again following the runoff elections in the state on Wednesday.
The social media platform said in a blogpost Georgia users would re-join the rest of the US in the nationwide political ad ban, which was implemented after the presidential election on November 3.
Facebook temporarily lifted the pause in Georgia on December 16 before the runoff elections kicked off. It did so to allow political information to reach more voters in the state. But the ban remained in place for the rest of the country.
Zuckerberg's company said feedback from experts and advertisers across the political spectrum suggested its ad tools are an important way for people to inform themselves on the elections.
But now the Georgia runoffs have come to a close, Facebook wants the state to fall back under the US-wide political ad ban. This means any ads about the Georgia runoffs would be stopped, even those from advertisers who were previously allowed to run political ads about the state's elections.
The tech firm didn't say when it would lift the broad ban on political ads on its site. Facebook didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
"Following the Georgia runoff election, starting early January 6, 2021, we will no longer allow ads about the Georgia runoff elections on our platform in line with our existing nationwide social issues, electoral or political ads pause," the tech giant said in the blogpost published Tuesday.
"Any ads about the Georgia runoff elections will be paused and advertisers will no longer be able to create new ads about social issues, elections, or politics," it added.
Facebook encouraged users to post "organically" and run ads that weren't related to politics, social issues or elections.
Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff won both runoff elections in Georgia to regain control of the Senate, according to projections from Insider and Decision Desk HQ.