Bill Overview
Title: Honest Ads Act
Description: This bill applies requirements, limitations, and protections regarding political advertising in traditional media to internet or digital political advertising. The bill sets forth special rules for disclosure statements for certain internet or digital ads.
Sponsors: Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6]
Target Audience
Population: People who are internet users worldwide and engage with political content
Estimated Size: 220000000
- The Honest Ads Act focuses on political advertising, which affects all voters as information they receive might influence their decisions.
- The act requires disclosures for digital political ads, impacting all individuals who access the internet and consume political content.
- During elections, a large percentage of populations in democracies such as the US engage with political content online.
Reasoning
- The Honest Ads Act primarily influences people who consume political content online, a common activity among adult internet users in the US.
- This act is more likely to impact demographics that frequently use digital media to consume political information, such as younger generations and tech-savvy individuals.
- People skeptical of current transparency in political advertising may feel more positively affected by the policy, reflecting in their increased wellbeing scores.
- The policy would have minimal direct impact on individuals who don't consume political content online regularly or aren't concerned with political ad transparency.
- With the vast number of internet users and voters in the US, the impact span is broad, but individual impact might vary in intensity based on personal values regarding political transparency.
Simulated Interviews
Software Developer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy is crucial for ensuring fair political engagement online.
- It will help reduce misinformation and improve trust in political campaigns.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 4 |
Teacher (Columbus, OH)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More transparency in political ads is a good step forward.
- I hope it will help voters make informed decisions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Digital Marketing Specialist (Austin, TX)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might challenge some current ad practices, but it's vital for fairness.
- Transparency should always be valued.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Retired (Miami, FL)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm thrilled about this policy. It addresses a key issue of political integrity online.
- Better ad scrutiny is much needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Student (New York, NY)
Age: 23 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's about time something like this was introduced. We need transparency.
- I hope it will limit misleading information during campaigns.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Public Relations Manager (Seattle, WA)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a necessary policy for the digital age.
- I hope it doesn't lead to over-regulation though.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Construction Worker (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not sure how this affects me since I'm not much online for politics.
- As long as it helps keep things fair, I'm for it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Journalist (Chicago, IL)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe this is a step forward in political reporting and advertisement.
- It will enhance the trustworthiness of online political ads.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Graphic Designer (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While the policy might create more work for designers, it ensures accountability.
- Transparency is key for trust in any designing field too.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Civil Rights Activist (Denver, CO)
Age: 49 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I applaud this initiative as it progresses toward genuine democratic engagement.
- The power of digital ads needs strict rules to prevent misuse.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $45000000 (Low: $27000000, High: $63000000)
Year 3: $40000000 (Low: $24000000, High: $56000000)
Year 5: $35000000 (Low: $21000000, High: $49000000)
Year 10: $30000000 (Low: $18000000, High: $42000000)
Year 100: $10000000 (Low: $6000000, High: $14000000)
Key Considerations
- The policy's impact is predominantly on transparency and compliance in digital political advertising.
- A key challenge lies in the technical implementation and uniform enforcement of new disclosure requirements across various platforms.
- The bill could set a precedent for further regulation in digital media beyond political advertising.