Center for Investigative Reporting

Palo Alto-based social networking giant Facebook is seeking an exemption to rules that would require political advertisements on the site to disclose the source of their funds, according to a letter submitted to federal regulators by company attorneys.

The letter, first obtained by Talking Points Memo, argues that limits on the size of Facebook ads makes including required disclosure language impractical. Federal campaign regulations require political advertising to disclose who paid for and authorized it, but the Federal Election Commission has allowed exceptions in certain cases.

Facebook is seeking an exemption similar to those that apply to bumper stickers, text messages, buttons and other small items. Ads on the social networking site are limited to a 25-character title and 135 characters of body text, according to the memo. A disclaimer (think “Paid for by Obama for America”) can take up a significant amount of that space. Read more

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