Twitter will pay $100,000 to Washington state to settle allegations of campaign finance violations. The Washington State Attorney General’s Office found that Twitter failed to disclose the identities and addresses of political advertisers as required by state law. This settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the state, alleging that Twitter violated campaign finance disclosure rules.
The investigation revealed that Twitter accepted payments for political ads without providing the legally mandated transparency information, making it difficult to track who was funding political messaging. Washington law requires detailed records of political ad buys to ensure transparency and prevent undue influence in elections.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson emphasized the importance of these laws, stating that they are crucial for ensuring fair and transparent elections. The settlement requires Twitter to implement measures to comply with Washington’s campaign finance laws in the future. This includes maintaining detailed records of political advertisers and providing this information to the public upon request. The fine will be used to fund future enforcement of campaign finance laws in Washington state. This settlement highlights the increasing scrutiny social media platforms face regarding political advertising and the need for greater transparency in online campaigns. The state hopes this action will deter similar violations by other platforms.
