Facebook is making it compulsory for New Zealand politicians and parties to sign up to a transparency tool if they want to advertise in the lead-up to the election in September.
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From next month the website will require political advertisers here to clearly mark their advertising on the social media site.
Ads referencing politicians, social issues, the election or political parties will need to confirm whose ads they are and how to contact them.
All ads will be stored so people can see how much they cost and who interacted with them.
Social media consultant and commentator Anna Rawhiti-Connell told Morning Report the disclaimers on ads would be visible, but people would have to dig a little to find detailed information.
"You just Google search Facebook Ad Library and you can put in the name of a party ... and you can see which ads not only that they're currently running but they've run in the past."
At the moment, Labour, Greens, Act and National had signed up, she said.
"New Zealand First I can see that they've run an ad but I can't see the new transparency tool information which suggests they perhaps have not gone through that process or are part way through that process. It will be compulsory from July."
She said it was a good move for democracy but was concerned that Facebook said it would not fact check posts from politicians.
"The biggest concern was not the political party advertising but the advertising that third party interest groups can also do. They are also bound by this new transparency tool."
