Google to track fund spent on political ads ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls

January 24: In order to to ensure transparency in election advertising, search giant Google announced that it will introduce an India-specific updated election ads policy that will provide comprehensive information about who is purchasing them on Google platforms and how much money is being spent. The updated election ads policy will require advertisers to provide a “pre-certificate” issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) or anyone authorised by the ECI, for each ad they wish to run. The company noted that it will begin verifying advertisers next month.

The advertiser verification process, for political parties, businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals, will begin on 14 February. Once confirmed, the tech firm will run a disclosure “Paid for by” using the information provided during the verification process. Google would introduce an India-specific “Political Advertising Transparency” report and searchable “Political Ads Library” in March.

“For the Lok Sabha Election 2019, Google will make electoral information from the ECI and other authoritative sources easily discoverable on Search,” the company said. The move comes at a time when digital platforms have come under pressure to bring transparency into political ads, and are facing increased scrutiny in large markets that are headed for elections.

The allegations, fake news, accusations will fly fast and hard in the season leading up to the elections, and in a country obsessed with text and post forwards, social media platforms will see a surge in their usage, and consequently, must also need to up their vigilance regarding the kind of information being spread. On December last year, Facebook had said it will make it compulsory for advertisers to disclose their identity and location before any such advertisement material can be run on the popular social media platform and Instagram.