Plus, ransomware attackers pay to prey and students begin to feel the “digital divide”
Facebook posted in its Newsroom last week that it was preparing for the predicted chaos of the U.S. presidential election by taking certain steps and changing some of its rules, including a moratorium on political ads post-election.
“While ads are an important way to express voice,” Guy Rosen, Facebook VP of Integrity, wrote in the Newsroom post, “we plan to temporarily stop running all social issue, electoral or political ads in the US after the polls close on November 3, to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse. We will notify advertisers when the policy is lifted.”
Avast Security Evangelist Luis Corrons acknowledged that this is a wise move. “There are too many interests involved in the U.S. presidential election,” he commented. “We’re not just talking about candidates trying to gain voters, but also external parties hoping to influence the election and benefit from the result. Facebook knows that it’s the most popular social network and that it’s been abused in the past during election time, so it makes sense to cut the problem at the root with a temporary ban on political ads.”
According to Rosen, other steps Facebook has taken to protect the integrity of the election include the removal of 30 networks engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior, displayed warnings on over 150 million pieces of content, and the deletion of 6.5 billion fake accounts. Some experts worry, however, that these moves are not enough. Wired reported this week that political strategists ..
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