Facebook users in the UK will now see who paid for the political ads in their feed

The words Facebook and political ads, when used in the same sentence, don’t exactly have a positive ring to them. Remember the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the Brexit referendum, and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, anyone? 

But now, the political ads in your Facebook feed are about to become more transparent and easier to decode, according to Facebook. 

It’s rolling out a new set of ad tools in the UK so that political ads on the platform will be accompanied by a “Paid for by” label. So you won’t have doubts about who’s really talking to you. 

That is just one of the actions Facebook is taking in an effort to establish a “new standard of transparency” around ads with political messages on the platform. 

In a press release introducing the new ad tool, Facebook states that users will not only know who paid for an ad, but all political ads will be saved in an ad library for up to seven years. That way, anyone can see all ads purchased by any sender. Anyone wishing to place a political ad will also have to first confirm their identity and location. 

Facebook confirmed to Mashable that anyone based in the UK can place a political ad on Facebook after going through the verification process. 

Similar ad tools are already are in use in the U.S. and Brazil. In a press release, Facebook said it was “pleased with the progress we have seen in the countries where we have rolled out the tools.” 

“We understand that [the ad tools] will not prevent abuse entirely. We’re up against smart and well-funded adversaries who change their tactics as we spot abuse,” Facebook added.  

According to the BBC, the Facebook ad library in the U.S. has registered over one million political ads since its launch in May 2018.