Google has announced that it will temporarily block political ads the day after the general election. The company says that it is instituting the measure because of the unprecedented number of mail-in ballots that are expected to be counted after election day. Google’s ban will include ads that directly feature campaign slogans, candidates and other political paraphernalia. The ad will also extend to the company’s various platforms including YouTube.
This move comes just days after Facebook made a similar move. The social media platform will block ads the week before election day and for an unspecified amount of time after the election.
“Facebook will be rejecting political ads that claim victory before the results of the 2020 election have been declared,” Facebook Spokesman Andy Stone tweeted Wednesday.
Nearly two dozen states have expanded their mail-in ballot efforts. As a result, it is highly unlikely that all ballots will be counted on the day of the elections. It is expected that the winners of many races will not be determined on November, but rather later that week or even the following week.
