Facebook makes it easy to run illegal and ‘Astroturf’ ads, say Canadian digital political strategists

'As long as you can buy advertising in almost an unlimited fashion, just simply using a credit card with Facebook, we’re going to see it,' says digital political advertising consultant Stephen Carter.

The office of Acting Democratic Institutions Minister Scott Brison is promising the government will close loopholes related to election advertising spending by third parties. Digital strategists say digital platforms like Facebook have made it easier than ever to run political advertising campaigns that skirt election finance laws.The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

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BY PETER MAZEREEUW

April 2, 2018

Anonymous and illegal political ad campaigns are probably already running in Canada, thanks in part to Facebook and other online advertising platforms that make it easy to skirt laws around political advertising, say political digital marketing specialists.

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