This morning, CNS News reported that Facebook had pulled an ad for the anti-stimulus website NoStimulus.com, citing rules against profanity, extremism, and hate speech. Phil Kerpen, national policy director for the group which paid for the ad, explained what reasoning Facebook had provided for their decision.
Kerpen said Facebook told Americans for Prosperity that the ad violated two of its advertising rules – Rules 8 and 9.
Rule 8 says that ads may not "contain, facilitate or promote "adult" content or content that is "offensive, profane, vulgar, obscene or inappropriate" or "defamatory, libelous, slanderous and/or unlawful."
Rule 9 prohibits a variety of content, including: --"Inflammatory religious content"; -- "Politically religious agendas and/or any known associations with hate, criminal and/or terrorist activities"; -- "Political content that exploits political agendas or uses 'hot button' political issues for commercial use regardless of whether the advertiser has a political agenda"; --"Hate speech, whether directed at an individual or a group, and whether based upon the race, sex, creed, national origin, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation or language of such individual or group"; -- and "Content that advocates against any organization, person, or group of people, with the exception of candidates running for public office."
NoStimulus.com is a web site which encourages voters to oppose the legislation before Congress, via contact with elected representatives and through a massive petition with over 400,000 signatures. The petition will be presented to Congress this afternoon.
There was a flurry of activity in the wake of the decision by Facebook, as the CNS News story was picked up by the conservative blogosphere and CNS readers. I contacted Erik Telford of Americans for Prosperity, the non-profit conservative group who is behind the NoStimulus website to get a statement on the ad. Mr. Telford informed me that the ad has since been re-instituted and Facebook has apologized for the "error." (This story has been UPDATED below the fold._
While it's true there could be a number of explanations for the ad getting pulled in the first place, one must at least suspect that users were reporting the ad as offensive. (Read: left-wing users.) This would be similar to the mass erasure of hundreds of conservative blogs by Google's Blogger service, thanks to left-bloggers exploiting the reporting system that occurred not too long ago. Of course, you might conclude that Facebook was making a political decision based on their own politics, something that is also not unknown to the right-o-sphere.
I contacted Facebook for their statement and have just received their response:
"As part of our efforts to remove other ads with misleading offers related to the stimulus package, we erroneously removed the ad in question. We have since restored that ad and expressed our regret to the advertiser for the error. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Part of Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share their opinions, and we encourage users to start vibrant debates on important issues. Already with the stimulus package, we have seen users create Facebook Groups and lead discussions on all sides of the issue."
There are still questions, of course. You have to wonder why they were initially told they violated rule 8 and 9. Certainly Facebook's explanation would fall under rule 9, but rule 8? Still, the ad is back in rotation and the petition continues to garner widespread support. The damage from this incident will be minimal at best, perhaps even a net positive having drawn more attention to the NoStimulus.com website.
Update: CNS News has posted a follow-up. Note this section from the original article, which Edwin Mora highlights again:
"At Facebook, we strive to create a trusted environment for our users and advertisers," Facebook spokeswoman Erin Zietler said in an e-mail on Wednesday, Feb. 11. "We encourage users to report any advertisements they find offensive or misleading, and we offer the ability for them to provide immediate feedback on our ads. We have a team dedicated to investigating ads and user complaints.
"In this case, users informed us about misleading offers in many ads with promotions related to the U.S. economic stimulus package," the spokeswoman said. "We are in the process of removing ads with these types of misleading offers as they are brought to our attention."
This does paint a picture: Leftwingers determined to silence opposition to the stimulus making dozens of false reports in order get a conservative message pulled from view. Sound familiar? Just speculation on my part, but the dots do connect.
Time for a party. After all of your hard work, we've got that tax cut. Let's see, $13 /week the first year, and $8 /week the next year.
Boy-eeeeeeee, we gonna party like it's 1999.
Gimme five ....... on the blackhand side
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
IRONBLUEEYES
9:25PM Feb 12th 2009
Attacks on the Messiah will not be tolerated.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WOW
2:25PM Feb 12th 2009
LONDON (AP) - World stock markets fell Thursday amid pessimism about the Obama administration's plans to fix the U.S. banking system and restore the overall health of the world's largest economy.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WOW
2:31PM Feb 12th 2009
[Carnival Ride Announcer] "Do you want to go FAAAAAASTER?"
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
Kathy
2:36PM Feb 12th 2009
I have to admit, I was a Democrat my whole adult life until the media started getting so biased it was painful to watch. I started listening to conservative media and I have to say: They make a lot of sense. The Democrats have no moral compass and this stimulus package is nothing more than "paybacks and "handouts" to increase their power base. If you have led a responsible life and taken care of yourself, this stimulus bill will do NOTHING for you. It is not for educated, men and women who have a track record of responsibility. The conservative media is so much more educated and their views are backed by FACTS not "touchy feely" emotions. While Obama and company spend 140 million on a "party" - we all starve! 140 million could house 1,000's of needy people. What were they thinking? Why is it that we, the sheeple are promised transparency, yet not allowed to see what is really in this bill? It is passed without any disclosure to the American People. What a sham! What a disgrace! We need to THINK - we need to REASON our way out of this.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
moderate
2:42PM Feb 12th 2009
There is confusion on the sight for the dollar amount. They acknowledge is is now $789B, but when they do their calculations they use the senate amount of over $900B. They have legitimate worries, but they are being dishonest in their % and $. Could have been a good sight but with their dishonesty it is irrelevant and untrue.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
Patty
2:44PM Feb 12th 2009
I do not know how many signatures are on this petition as of this time...however less than a half million is not all that many signatures. So unless far more have signed it since, I would be ashamed to send it onward. If they do the recievers might actually think more folks support the stimulus than those that are against it (as per the petition provides.)
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
Marsha Bailey
2:49PM Feb 12th 2009
WOW2:31PMFeb 12th 2009
[Carnival Ride Announcer] "Do you want to go FAAAAAASTER?" ............. Is there any other choice?
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WOW
2:54PM Feb 12th 2009
About half-way through President Obama's press conference Monday night, he had an unscripted question of his own. "All, Chuck Todd," the President said, referring to NBC's White House correspondent. "Where's Chuck?" He had the same strange question about Fox News's Major Garrett: "Where's Major?"
The problem wasn't the lighting in the East Room. The President was running down a list of reporters preselected to ask questions. The White House had decided in advance who would be allowed to question the President and who was left out.
Let's review. Pre-selected reporters, no follow-ups, and no real answers.
George Orwell should have a national holiday.
'1984'
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WOW
2:55PM Feb 12th 2009
Marsha Bailey2:49PMFeb 12th 2009
WOW2:31PMFeb 12th 2009
[Carnival Ride Announcer] "Do you want to go FAAAAAASTER?" ............. Is there any other choice? '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
alright I am an intelligent person, and no matter how I do the math, this so called tax break amounts to nothing.
notice the public bitched so they reduced the tax break. wasn't that nice of them, to tell us to shut up or see what happens.
bet the O-bots think they won. wait until they see their paychecks and ask, hey where is my tax break, asking "why isn't my check isn't any bigger." wonder how they will feel then.
or when they discover, there are no real jobs being created, maybe a few will, but demand for jobs, will overshadow the few that are created.
bon bon obama is doing a good job..cleaning up after bush is no easy task..
give obama a chance to clean up..if bush and the repubs did such a good job..why are we in this mess now?
please someone..answer that question
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WOW
3:10PM Feb 12th 2009
neil3:04PMFeb 12th 2009
bon bon obama is doing a good job..cleaning up after bush is no easy task..
give obama a chance to clean up..if bush and the repubs did such a good job..why are we in this mess now?
please someone..answer that question -----------------
At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, start with the income tax (the tax on human labor), and The Federal Reserve (fractional-reserve banking).
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
neil
3:17PM Feb 12th 2009
wow..that was wow..lol risk of sounding logical your theory has more holes than the titanic...
i was asking..'what has george bush and the repubs have done in the last 8 years to improve this economy?
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
neil
3:16PM Feb 12th 2009
wow if they have done such a good job..why didn't bush and the repubs stop this recession
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WADE........TED KENNEDY WHAT A.......
3:30PM Feb 12th 2009
JOKE!!!!!!!!!
This is type of people the left-loon's worship....when he finally TAKES THAT well deserved DIRT NAP don't let these fools make him into something he wasn't!
The Last of The Kennedy Dynasty....thank GOD! > > As soon as cancer was found, I noticed the immediate > attempt at canonization of old Teddy by the main stream > media They are saying what a "great American" he > is. I say, let's get a couple things clear & not twist > the facts to change the real history. > > 1. He was caught cheating at Harvard when he attended > it. He was expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and > once for paying a classmate to cheat for him. > > 2. While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but > mistakenly signed up for four years instead of two. Oops, > the man can't count to four. His father, Joseph P > Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to England (a step up from > bootlegging liquor into the US from Canada during > prohibition), pulled the necessary strings to have his > enlistment shortened to two years, and to ensure that he > served in Europe, not Korea, where a war was raging. ( No > preferential treatment for him like "he" charged > President Bush received.) > > 3. Kennedy was assigned to Paris, never advanced beyond > the rank of Private, and returned to Harvard upon being > discharged. Imagine a person of his "education" > never advancing past the rank of Private. > > 4. While attending law school at the University of > Virginia, he was cited for reckless driving four times, > including once when he was clocked driving 90 miles per hour > in a residential neighborhood with his headlights off after > dark. Yet his Virginia driver's license was never > revoked. Coincidentally, he passed the bar exam in 1959, > amazing!!! > > 5. In 1964, he was seriously injured in a plane crash, > and hospitalized for several months. Test results done by > the hospital at the time he was admitted had shown he was > legally intoxicated. The results of those tests remained a > "st ate secret" until in the 1980's when the > report was unsealed. Didn't hear about that from the > unbiased media, did we. > > 6. On July 19, 1969, Kennedy attended a party on > Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts. At about 11:00 PM, > he borrowed his chauffeur's keys to his Oldsmobile > limousine, and offered to give a ride home to Mary Jo > Kopechne, a campaign worker. Leaving the island via an > unlit bridge with no guard rail, Kennedy steered the car off > the bridge, flipped, and into Poucha Pond. > > 7. He swam to shore and walked back to the party, after > passing several houses and a fire station. Then two friends > returned with him to the scene o f the accident. According > to their later testimony, they told him what he already > knew, that he was required by law to immediately report the > accident to the authorities. Instead Kennedy made his way > to his hotel, called his lawyer, and went to sleep. Kennedy > called the police the next morning and by then the wreck had > already been discovered. Before dying, Kopechne had > scratched at the upholstered floor above her head in the > upside-down car. The Kennedy family began "calling in > favors", ensuring that any inquiry would be contained. > Her corpse was whisked out-of-state to her family, before an > autopsy could be conducted. Further details are uncertain, > but after the accident Kennedy says he repeatedly dove under > the water trying to rescue Kopechne, and he didn't call > police because he was in a state of shock. It is widely > assumed Kennedy was drunk, and he held off calling police in > hopes that his family could fix the problem overnight. > Since the accident, Kennedy's "political > enemies" have referred to him as the distinguished > Senator from Chappaquiddick. He pled guilty to leaving the > scene of an accident, and was given a SUSPENDED SENTENCE > OF TWO MONTHS. Kopechne's family received a small > payout from the Kennedy's insurance policy, and never > sued. There was later an effort to have her body exhumed > and autopsied, but her family successfully fought against > this in court, and Kennedy's family paid their > attorney's bills... a "token of friendship"? > > > 8. Kennedy has held his Senate seat for more than forty > years, but considering his longevity, his accomplishments > seem scant. He authored or argued for legislation that > ensured a variety of civil rights, increased the minimum > wage in 1981, made access to health care easier f or the > indigent, and funded Meals on Wheels for fixed-income > seniors and is widely held as the "standard-bearer for > liberalism". In his very first Senate roll, he was the > floor manager for the bill that turned U.S. immigration > policy upside down and opened the floodgate for immigrants > from third world countries. > > 9. Since that time, he has been the prime instigator and > author of every expansion of and increase in immigration, up > to and including the latest attempt to grant amnesty to > illegal aliens. Not to mention the Pious grilling he gave > the last two Supreme Court Nominees, as if he were the s > standard bearer for the nation in matters of right. What a > pompous ass ! > > 10. He is known around Washington as a public drunk, > loud, boisterous and very disrespectful to ladies. JERK is > a better description than "great American". > > Let's not allow the spin doctors make this jerk a hero > -- how quickly the American public forgets what his real > legacy is...
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WADE............oh, MR. NEIL
3:41PM Feb 12th 2009
neil3:04PMFeb 12th 2009
bon bon obama is doing a good job..cleaning up after bush is no easy task..
give obama a chance to clean up..if bush and the repubs did such a good job..why are we in this mess now?
please someone..answer that question
**************
Why don't you ask your LOW RATED Democratic controlled Congress why they didn't do something about FREDDIE, FANNY AND THE LIKES~~~~~~ MR. NEILLY BOY! ARE YOU SAYING CONGRESS```PELOSI, REID & THEIR CRONIES FOR LAST TWO YRS. HAD THEIR HANDS TIED ? ARE YOU SAYING CONGRESS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING DOWN? GET REAL BUDDY! SPIN SPIN SPIN SPIN
RATE THIS COMMENT: (0)
WOW
3:44PM Feb 12th 2009
neil3:16PMFeb 12th 2009
wow if they have done such a good job..why didn't bush and the repubs stop this recession ---------------------
I'll venture a guess, and say that the answer was too simple for you. Hence, you must be a genius.
The problem, as I see it, is that you are still under the impression that there is a difference betwwen having George Bush, or Bill Clinton, or Barry Soetero, as president. When you are able to shake this fallacy, we can talk.
Meanwhile, copy and paste my original answer to a search engine and expand your thought processes.