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: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Target Audience
Population: People worldwide who use digital platforms where political ads are displayed
Estimated Size: 240000000
- The bill targets digital political advertising, which is a common media type used globally for spreading political messages.
- Political advertisers, including candidates, political parties, and PACs, will be directly impacted.
- Voters and internet users will encounter these political ads, thus they're a secondary impacted group as transparency will change how they perceive these ads.
- Social media platforms and other digital advertising providers are indirectly affected by the regulatory changes.
- The transparency improved by the bill may change international political ad strategies in global markets, affecting non-US political environments.
Reasoning
- The Honest Ads Act is mainly targeted at digital political advertisers and indirectly impacts internet users due to increased ad transparency.
- The Act's budget allows for widespread changes in political advertising practices and transparency, affecting many internet users who engage with political ads.
- Individuals in various demographic categories, from digital advertisers to everyday internet users, will perceive the transparency benefits differently depending on their engagement with digital platforms.
- The interviews include a range of perspectives, from individuals directly involved in digital political advertising to everyday internet users, to reflect the diversity of impact.
Simulated Interviews
Digital Marketing Manager (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This new policy will make my job more challenging because there's more compliance involved.
- In the long run, it might make the ad space more trusted and improve effectiveness.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
College Professor (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might help my students critically assess political ads they encounter online.
- Transparency is key when it comes to political information.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Software Developer (Austin, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Imposing new disclosures on platforms will require significant technical updates and work on compliance.
- It will likely increase the credibility of political ads.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Freelance Journalist (Chicago, IL)
Age: 42 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More transparency in digital ads could make my investigative work easier and more impactful.
- This change has been needed for a long time.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired (Miami, FL)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think knowing who paid for political ads will make me more informed.
- This policy might make a real difference in how trustworthy I find online information.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
College Student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a student, understanding who's funding ads can change my views on political campaigns.
- This change will make discussions on campus more informed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Social Media Influencer (Denver, CO)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could affect how much I earn from political ads.
- However, it may increase engagement if people find ads more credible.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Political Consultant (Boston, MA)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Implementing the Act will require changes in my advisory approach but will enhance overall transparency.
- Could lead to more responsible political advertising.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Public Policy Analyst (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Increased transparency is a boon for research and public policy recommendations.
- Should reduce misinformation, thus positively impacting democratic engagement.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Tech Entrepreneur (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy signifies a need to adjust our tech solutions and might open new business opportunities.
- Could lead to more ethical digital advertising practices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $52000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $73000000)
Year 3: $54000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $76000000)
Year 5: $58000000 (Low: $34000000, High: $80000000)
Year 10: $65000000 (Low: $37000000, High: $89000000)
Year 100: $100000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $150000000)
Key Considerations
- This policy involves balancing costs of enforcement with savings from reduced electoral disputes.
- Consider additional costs for digital platforms to update systems for compliance.