Sharethrough Political Advertising Policy

Sharethrough Political Advertising Policy

PURPOSE

Sharethrough is committed to supporting responsible political advertising and ensuring compliance with relevant local, state, provincial, and federal regulations. This Political Advertising Policy (Policy) outlines the guidelines and requirements for political advertising on the Sharethrough platform.

SCOPE

This Policy applies to all demand partners, advertisers and agencies (collectively, Advertisers) using the Sharethrough platform for political advertising. It includes, but is not limited to, advertisements related to elections, ballot initiatives, political candidates, and issues of political or social importance.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. 1. Compliance with Local Laws: All political advertisements must adhere to the relevant campaign and election laws, including compliance with electoral “silence periods” where they apply.
2. 2. Region-Specific Requirements: Advertisers must ensure compliance with the specific regulations applicable to the region in which they are advertising, including, without limitation, collecting IEC forms in the state of New York.

UNITED STATES-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

1. 1. Permitted Ads: Political ads related to elections, ballot initiatives, political candidates, and political or social issues are permitted.
2. 2. Compliance: Advertisers must comply with all applicable laws, including:
3. • Federal election laws
4. • US FEC regulations
5. • State or local laws and regulations
6. • National Advertising Initiative (NAI) Code of Conduct
7. 3. Sponsorship Identification: Ads must include clear and conspicuous “Paid for by” disclosures, identifying the payer and whether the communication was authorized by a candidate or organization.
8. 4. Additional Disclosures: Unauthorized candidate or third-party ads must include contact information for the sponsoring organization and comply with state-specific disclosure requirements. For example, if an advertisement is funded by a Political Action Committee (PAC) or other third-party group, this must be disclosed.
9. 5. Non-US Advertisers: Ads are prohibited if the advertiser is not located in the United States or if the funding for such ads comes, wholly or partly, from non-US sources.

CONTENT STANDARDS

• Advertisements must be truthful and not misleading.
• Advertisements must not contain false or unverified claims, hate speech, or incitement to violence.
• Advertisements must not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.

CATEGORIZATION AND COMPLIANCE

1. 1. Ad Categorization: Political ads must be categorized under “Politics”, “Political (Elections),” or another designated political category within the Sharethrough platform.
2. 2. DAA Compliance: Ads in these categories will automatically display the DAA Political Ad icon and collect data for compliance with the DAA’s Self-Regulatory Principles for Political Advertising.

DISCLOSURE AND RECORDS OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

1. 1. Disclosure: Political Advertisers in certain states, must collect information relating to their disclosure requirements, such as information about who purchased the ad, for how much, the candidates, runtime, number of impressions, target audience, and amount spent.
2. 2. Record Keeping: Where required by applicable law, Advertisers must maintain publicly available political ads registered that can be made available to Sharethrough upon request.
3. 3. Additional Information: Sharethrough reserves the right to request additional information from Advertisers as it deems necessary.

ENFORCEMENT

1. 1. Non-Compliance: Advertisers found in violation of this Policy may face penalties, including the suspension of their advertising privileges on the Sharethrough platform.
2. 2. Reporting Violations: Any suspected violations of this Policy should be reported to Sharethrough immediately.

POLICY UPDATES

Sharethrough may update this Policy periodically based on changes in law, compliance requirements, industry best practices, and specific restrictions or obligations from inventory holders.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For any questions or concerns regarding this Policy, or for requests to advertise in jurisdictions not listed, please contact your client relationship manager.