Twitter will pay $100,000 to Washington state to resolve allegations of campaign finance violations, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced. The social media platform failed to properly disclose the sponsors of political advertisements that ran on its site, violating state law.
The investigation revealed that Twitter did not maintain the necessary information about ad buyers, including their names, addresses, and the total amount spent on political ads. This lack of transparency made it difficult to track the sources of funding for political campaigns and initiatives in the state.
Washington law requires online platforms like Twitter to maintain detailed records of political advertising and make them available to the public. These regulations aim to ensure transparency and prevent foreign interference in elections. Ferguson stated that his office is committed to enforcing campaign finance laws and holding social media companies accountable for their role in political advertising.
Twitter cooperated with the investigation and agreed to the settlement. In addition to the fine, Twitter will implement measures to ensure compliance with Washington’s campaign finance laws in the future. This includes improving its ad disclosure policies and training employees on the state’s requirements. This settlement highlights the increasing scrutiny of social media platforms and their impact on political campaigns. Other states may follow Washington’s lead in enforcing campaign finance laws against tech companies.
