Facebook takes heat for banning pot legalization ads

[grace]

The national Libertarian Party today joined the chorus of those complaining that Facebook has banned ads advocating for marijuana legalization.

 

The party says the Palo Alto-based social networking giant sent a July 23 e-mail -- eight days after Facebook had notified the party that the ad had been accepted -- saying, "We do not allow ads for marijuana or political ads for the promotion of marijuana."

 

The party argues its ad isn't intended to promote marijuana itself, but rather to take a position on the high-profile political issue of legalization, as embodied by Proposition 19 on California's ballot this November.

 

"Whether or not the folks at Facebook like marijuana, we think they should end their ridiculous censorship of our ad, which expresses the Libertarian position on a political issue of interest to many people," Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said in a news release. "We recognize Facebook's right to control their content and censor whoever they want. But we're also exercising our First Amendment right to complain about their bad decision, and to alert other consumers to put pressure on them."

 

Facebook also has revoked approval of similar ads from other groups, including Just Say Now and the District of Columbia Patients' Cooperative.

 

It's not as if the marijuana legalization debate is completely banned from Facebook. The "Yes on 19: Control & Tax Cannabis 2010" page as of today has 157,064 people who "like" it, while "Public Safety First," the main coalition opposing the measure, has 535 "likes."

 

Facebook spokeswoman Annie Ta explained that "(l)ike many content services, we have different policies for our paid and free services. Our advertising policies prohibit the paid promotion of illegal content, and when we find this, we take action as necessary.

 

"We want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others," she continued. "Our team has worked with 'Just Say Now' directly and explained our policies in depth. We'd like to reiterate that 'Just Say Now' can promote their campaign and petition through Facebook Ads as long as they use another image."

 

But it was actually the Libertarian Party's ad, which includes an image of a marijuana leaf, that I'd inquired about, so I asked again about that one specifically. "We don't allow any images of drugs, drug paraphernalia, or tobacco in ad images on Facebook," Ta replied. "The Libertarian Party can continue to advertise on Facebook using a different image."

 

So talking about marijuana legalization is OK, but depicting a leaf is out of bounds.

 

This is a sampling from Bay Area News Group's Political Blotter blog. Read more and post comments at www.ibabuzz.com/politics.

 

 

Author:Josh Richman

Date: 30 August 2010

Source: The Oakland Tribune

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribun...ews/ci_15919787

[headstone]

I bet facebook wouldn't have any problems with a government sponsored ad showing a pot leaf behind bars

[Innocent criminal]

Aah the great hypocrisy

It would be funny if it didn't make me want to vomit so...