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Facebook yet to decide which political advertising rules it will roll out in Australia

January 16, 2019 by www.abc.net.au Leave a Comment

Facebook will wait until Australia’s federal election date is revealed to decide which, if any, of its planned political advertising restrictions it will roll out in a bid to reduce potential interference.

Key points:

  • Australia, Indonesia, Israel and the Philippines among the nations holding key votes this year
  • Facebook’s directors say they know rules will not be perfect and want ongoing improvements
  • Different policies and transparency measures will be developed to reflect local laws after speaking with governments

As the largest social media service in nearly every big country, Facebook since 2016 has become a means for politicians and their adversaries to distribute fake news and other propaganda.

Buying Facebook ads can widen the audience for such material, but some of those influencing efforts may violate election rules and the company’s policies.

Under pressure from authorities around the world, Facebook last year introduced several initiatives to increase oversight of political ads.

This year, it will extend some of its political advertising rules and tools for curbing election interference to India, Nigeria, Ukraine and the European Union before significant votes.

Beginning on Wednesday (local time) in Nigeria, only advertisers located in the country will be able to run electoral ads.

The move mirrors a policy unveiled during an Irish referendum last May, said Katie Harbath, Facebook’s director of global politics and outreach.

The same policy will take effect in Ukraine in February.

Nigeria holds a presidential election on February 16, while Ukraine will follow on March 31.

In India, where elections are due between April and May, Facebook will place electoral ads in a searchable online library starting in February, according to Rob Leathern, a director of product management at the company.

What about Australia?

Australia, Indonesia, Israel and the Philippines are among the nations holding key votes this year for which Facebook said it is still weighing policies.

Facebook expects to provide more information around plans for Australia’s federal election when the date on which it will be held has been announced.

“We’re learning from every country,” Mr Leathern said.

“We know we’re not going to be perfect, but our goal is continuing, ongoing improvement.”

Facebook believes that holding the ads in a library for seven years is a key part of fighting interference, he added.

The library will resemble archives brought to the US, Brazil and Britain last year.

The newfound transparency drew some applause from elected officials and campaign accountability groups, but they also criticised Facebook for allowing advertisers in the US to obfuscate their identities.

The Indian archive will contain contact information for some advertising buyers or their official regulatory certificates.

For individuals buying political ads, Facebook said it would ensure their listed name matches government-issued documents.

The European Union would get a version of that authorisation and transparency system ahead of the bloc’s parliamentary elections in May, Mr Leathern said.

What is Facebook planning?

The ad hoc approach, with varying policies and transparency depending on the region, reflects local laws and conversations with governments and civil society groups, Ms Harbath said.

That means extra steps to verify identities and locations of political ad buyers in the US and India will not be introduced in every big election this year, Mr Leathern said.

In addition, ad libraries in some countries will not include what the company calls “issue” ads, Mr Leathern said.

Facebook’s US archive includes ads about much-debated issues such as climate change and immigration policy, even though they may not directly relate to a ballot measure.

Mr Leathern and Ms Harbath said they hoped to have a set of tools that applies to advertisers globally by the end of June.

“Our goal was to get to a global solution,” Ms Harbath said.

“And so, until we can get to that in June, we had to look at the different elections and what we think we can do.”

Other Facebook teams remain focused on identifying problematic political behaviour unrelated to ads.

In December, researchers working for a US Senate committee concluded that the Russian Government’s Internet Research Agency used social media ads and regular posts on inauthentic accounts to promote then presidential candidate Donald Trump to millions of Americans.

Russia denied the accusation.

Reuters/ABC

Posted 16 Jan 2019 16 Jan 2019 Wed 16 Jan 2019 at 7:45am

Filed Under: AsiaNews facebook, political ads, election, federal election, donald trump, russia, advertisement rules, advertising rules and regulations, attorney advertising rules california, cpa advertising rules, roadside advertising rules, botox advertising rules, political advertising agencies, political advertising strategies, political advertising techniques, digital political advertising

From ‘romantic urges’ to urinating in the Élysée Palace: when political pets misbehave

September 27, 2023 by www.telegraph.co.uk Leave a Comment

A dog has always been man’s best friend. But not, it appears, always a politician’s best friend, as Joe Biden has found out to his dismay.

The President’s two-year-old German shepherd, Commander, is in the doghouse after biting a Secret Service agent at the White House on Monday night . Commander has reportedly “broken protocol” – bureaucratese for bitten – more than 10 times in a five-month period, including one incident in November, where an officer was admitted to hospital after being bitten on the arm and thigh.

First Lady Jill Biden’s office released a statement saying: “The White House can be a stressful environment for family pets, and the First Family continues to work on ways to help Commander handle the often unpredictable nature of the White House grounds.”

But he is not the only First Dog to be caught behaving badly. Soon after Biden took office, another of his German shepherds, Major, was sent away to Delaware after a similar “biting incident” (and not long after he allegedly defecated on the White House carpet).

Biden’s decision to reappoint DOTUS (Dog of the United States) after Donald Trump’s pet-free presidency was a savvy one, even if it hasn’t quite gone to plan.

Every politician is aware of the power of some strategic “puppaganda” for a popularity boost, if not just how quickly it can backfire.

In Westminster, puppies have a lengthy history as a political prop. Churchill had brown miniature poodles, Rufus and Rufus II; Clement Attlee had an Airedale terrier, Ting.

Whatever your views of Boris Johnson, who could resist Carrie Johnson’s pride and joy – the couple’s rescue Jack Russell cross, Dilyn? But the mischievous Dilyn got into all sorts of trouble.

He landed the then-prime minister with a four-figure bill in February 2021 after he soiled carpets and chewed priceless books and furniture at Chequers; reportedly cocked his leg over an aide’s handbag; and struggled to contain his “romantic urges”, which led to him humping Dominic Cummings’s leg. While Biden defended Major until the very last, Johnson asked for someone to: “Someone please shoot that f—— dog!” after the damage caused by Dilyn.

Perhaps a trusty labrador – beloved of the British upper classes – would have been a safer bet. Although not necessarily. French president Emmanuel Macron’s rescue Labrador-griffon cross, Nemo, made a faux pas when he was caught on video urinating on a fireplace in the Élysée Palace during a meeting with junior ministers in 2017. “I wondered what that noise was,” one of them said.

Often dogs are a humanising touch; a reminder that, no matter how lofty they may seem, politicians are really just like us. But they can even be used as a diplomatic weapon.

When Putin called his enormous black labrador, Konni, into a 2007 meeting with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel after learning she has a profound fear of dogs, it was interpreted by many as an attempt to intimidate her. Putin, for his part, defended Konni and said he was just being friendly.

In America, presidential pets wield incredible power. Research has suggested that in the 2008 presidential campaign, dog-owning voters penalised Obama for not owning a pooch – by 2012, the family’s Portuguese water dog, Bo, was frequently photographed during his re-election campaign.

In 1952, a dog even saved Richard Nixon’s presidential bid. Nixon had been accused of accepting financial gifts for personal use. In a misty-eyed address to the nation on September 23 that year, he said there had been no financial impropriety, although his family would keep one gift no matter what – their beloved cocker spaniel, Checkers. He later swept to victory and September 23 is celebrated as National Dogs in Politics Day.

The latest pet reshuffle in British Parliament saw Rishi Sunak opt for a fox red Labrador named Nova. He too harnessed the political power of a puppy pic by introducing Nova on his Instagram page in 2021.

Nova made headlines in March this year after she was filmed breaking wildlife protection rules and wandering around the Serpentine in Hyde Park off the lead.

Yet when it comes down to it. Nova is no match for Larry, the famous Downing Street tabby cat, who has his own Twitter account. Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty recently said, “Nova has mixed emotions about [living here] because she sometimes doesn’t get on with Larry the cat… they’ve had some heated exchanges.”

In the Westminster turf wars, 16-year-old Larry, who has lived through five prime ministers  – David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Sunak – is clearly top dog.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Emmanuel Macron, UK News, Daily Features, Politics, Vladimir Putin, Standard, Dogs, News, Other features, Joe Biden, Animals, Boris Johnson, urination urges, frequent urge to urinate, urge for urination, constant urge to urinate, constant urge to urinate male, constant urge to urinate no pain, constant urge to urinate female, urge to urinate, false urge to urinate, increased urge to urinate

Sadiq Khan says Conservatives using Croydon murder as ‘political football’

September 28, 2023 by news.sky.com Leave a Comment

The Labour Mayor of London has accused the Conservatives of using the stabbing of a teenager in Croydon as a “political football”, telling Sky News: “I’m not willing to play.”

Elianne Andam, who was just 15, died during Wednesday’s rush hour after being attacked on her way to school , leading to an outpouring of grief from the local community.

A 17-year-old boy remains in police custody over the incident.

Politics live: PM pushed for ‘yes or no’ answer on HS2

Speaking on Sky News this morning, transport minister Richard Holden described the stabbing as “absolutely outrageous” and called for “a real change” in society over its approach to young people carrying knives.

But, after defending the government’s own record on tackling knife crime, he accused Mr Khan of failing to “focus” on the issue.

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Transport minister Richard Holden 0:49

London mayor ‘should be fully focused on crime’

Mr Holden said there had been “some distractions” in recent months, namely the mayor’s “flip-flopping” over the expansion over the Ultra Low Emission Zone – an issue blamed by many in Labour for their loss in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election and touted as the inspiration for Rishi Sunak’s watering down of net zero policies .

He said: “I think what we should be focusing on is things which really affect people in the city and the Mayor of London is essentially the Police and Crime Commissioner for neighbourhood crime in London, he should really be focused on that.

“I think if it was me, one of my main, sole focuses at the moment would be very much on crime. We’ve seen some real issues in London, particularly with violent crime, particularly amongst young people. I don’t want to see that getting out of control. I want to see those numbers coming down.

“And I think if I was the mayor, that would be my sole focus at the moment, on what we can do to reduce crime in our city.”

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Andy Brittain 0:39

‘Every parent’s worst nightmare’

Mr Holden also raised the issue of sexual violence in London, before adding: “I think the new police commissioner is doing a good job at trying to turn that around.

“But I think what it requires is political support in order to do that and political focus. And I think if I was the mayor, that’s what I would be focused on.”

Speaking later on Friday after visiting Croydon, Mr Khan rejected the remarks, telling Sky News: “If the Conservatives want to use the murder of a 15-year-old girl as a political football, that’s up to them. I’m not willing to play ball.”

However, the mayor appealed for more support from government, warning about the “consequences of austerity”, and saying City Hall was trying to provide policing and youth services “with one hand tied behind our back”.

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preview image 1:12

Ellie Reeves: ‘Mayor hugely focused on tackling knife crime’

Asked if he blamed Westminster cuts for the increase in knife crime, Mr Khan said: “The responsibility for knife crime lies with the person doing the knife crime.

“But without excusing criminality, the causes are quite complex. They are to do with deprivation, alienation, a lack of opportunity, inequalities and so forth.

“So, yes, of course, we would have bear down on enforcement. More police officers are needed, more communities to officers are needed.

“At the same time, we’ve got to give young people constructive things to do, particularly when we know knife crime is high – in evenings, at weekends and during the holidays – so they can flourish and thrive and have that potential fulfilled, rather than joining criminal gangs, getting involved in county lines and all the other things we know can happen when young people aren’t supported.”

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Fox News Politics: 5 fiery moments from the second GOP debate

September 28, 2023 by www.foxnews.com Leave a Comment

Welcome to the Fox News politics newsletter! We’ve put together a recap of the top moments from the GOP presidential primary debate . In case you missed it: The showdown was hosted on September 27 by FOX Business and Univision at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

MISSED THE DEBATE? See all the tense exchanges and memorable moments right here.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. ‘Missing in action’

Former President Donald Trump was not at the second GOP debate, but his name was invoked multiple times. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hit Trump for being “missing in action.” …Read more

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie floated a Disney-themed nickname for the insulter-in-chief that didn’t seem to land. …Read more

Trump himself clapped back at Christie in comments to FOX Business: “Anybody that would come up with that nickname shouldn’t be running for president.” …Read more

Second GOP presidential debate (Fox News)

2. Big fights

GOP candidates were more aggressive than in the first debate, and multiple moments descended into interruptions and shouting. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott brought the heat against DeSantis for the dispute about whether Florida’s curriculum was soft on slavery (DeSantis called the whole issue a “hoax”). …Read more

Even North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum , the least-well known on the stage, scored some hits and conservative pundits generally viewed him as having a good night. …Read more

US Senator from South Carolina Tim Scott looks on as former US Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the second Republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on September 27, 2023. (Robyn Beck)

3. Big fails

Several jokes and one-liners flew a little too close to the sun. Former Vice President Mike Pence made a comment about sleeping with a teacher . Pence also delivered a line about the president visiting the autoworkers strike: ” Joe Biden doesn’t belong on a picket line, he belongs on the unemployment line,” Pence said. …Read more

4. Vivek-shaped punching bag

Like the first debate, Vivek Ramaswamy took criticism from all sides, but the strongest came from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley : “honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say,” Haley said during a spat over TikTok. Ramaswamy replied that he thinks social media is damaging to teens. …Read more

Nikki Haley Vivek Ramaswamy

Nikki Haley Vivek Ramaswamy (FOX Business)

5. Did Bidenomics win the debate?

The economy and inflation one of the major topics leading up to the debate. While candidates did discuss kitchen table issues and slam Bidenomics, the president’s economic policies “came out mostly unscathed” according to former Clinton strategist Mark Penn .

Similarly, FOX Business host Larry Kudlow was uncertain that the candidates landed any fatal hits on the economy. “I still don’t think Bidenomics was buried today on that stage,” Kudlow said. …Read more

LOOKING AHEAD: A third GOP debate is scheduled for November 8 in Miami, Florida . Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

This article was written by Fox News staff.

Filed Under: Uncategorized fox news israel, CEO of Fox News, fox news fox news, ABC News Politics, world news politics, news about fox news, fox news debate, News Political, msnbc news politics, fox news fox and friends

California Governor Gavin Newsom Calls Taylor Swift’s Political Impact ‘Profoundly Powerful’

September 28, 2023 by www.forbes.com Leave a Comment

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Whether they should or shouldn’t be influential in politics, celebrities often find themselves at the forefront of important conversations, especially in election years. The biggest and most popular stars are often applauded for leveraging their platforms to influence public opinion and drive change.

Taylor Swift stayed out of politics for a long time, but her tune has changed. Now, following a move by the superstar to get out the vote, one of the most prominent Democrats in the country is praising the singer for her efforts.

California governor Gavin Newsom headed to Simi Valley earlier this week to appear via media at the Republican’s latest debate. While speaking with TMZ , the Democratic politician and likely one-day presidential candidate lauded Swift’s influence, stating that it could play a significant role in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

MORE FROM FORBES Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Release Date Makes Perfect Grammy Sense By Hugh McIntyre

“Taylor Swift stands tall and unique,” remarked Governor Newsom in an interview with the celebrity-focused outlet. “What she was able to accomplish in getting young people activated to consider that they have a voice and they should have a voice in the next election, I think it’s profoundly powerful.”

Newsom went on to further praise the “Anti-Hero” chart-topper, adding, “I think she’s using her celebrity for good.”

Newsom is referring to Swift’s recent push to get her millions of Instagram followers to sign up to vote. On National Voter Registration Day, the Grammy winner took to her social media account to urge her fans, affectionately known as Swifities, to register to take part in the upcoming election. To do so, she shared a link to Vote.org, a non-profit voting registration platform and organization she has partnered with in the past.

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“I’ve been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my U.S. shows recently,” Swift’s statement read. “I’ve heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are. Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year!” It was a simple message, but one that resulted in a massive spike in visits to the website. The Wrap reports that the organization saw a more than 1,200% jump in traffic following her post.

During the short chat with TMZ, Newsom also noted that not everyone shares this sentiment of Swift’s move to get young people to take part in the democratic process. “Republicans are critical of her encouraging people to register to vote,” he stated, adding, “which says everything you need to know about the voter suppression going on in the Republican party.”

Swift’s engagement in the political space is not a recent development. In recent years, she has become increasingly vocal about her political beliefs, endorsing candidates and advocating for issues that matter to her. For the first decade or so of her career, she steered clear of such topics, but eventually she felt the need to speak up, and since then has supported a handful of Democrat candidates.

MORE FROM FORBES Taylor Swift’s Concert Film Will Net Her Two Massive Paydays By Hugh McIntyre

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