Facebook Will Ban Campaigns from Uploading Ads in Last Week of Election to Avoid ‘Civil Unrest’

Social media giant Facebook has announced plans to ban new political ads for the week leading up to Election Day on November 3. Mark Zuckerberg announced the ban along with several other changes because he fears “there could be an increased risk of civil unrest across the country.”

NBC News reports that Facebook has announced plans to ban new political ads in the week leading up to Election Day on November 3. The site will also remove posts that try to suppress or discourage voting according to company CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The decision aims to prevent campaigns and their supporters from making early claims of victory. The announcement is part of series of actions taken by Facebook to address concerns about how the social media site could be used to manipulate the election and includes a warning from Zuckerberg about potential unrest around the U.S. related to the election.

In a note to staff members, Zuckerberg wrote: “The U.S. elections are just two months away, and with Covid-19 affecting communities across the country, I’m concerned about the challenges people could face when voting. I’m also worried that with our nation so divided and election results potentially taking days or even weeks to be finalized, there could be an increased risk of civil unrest across the country.”