Facebook Ads Restriction Period for Politics and Social Issues in the US

As you likely know, there are special rules that Facebook advertisers must follow to run ads related to politics and social issues. But, if you run ads in the US, you should be aware of a restriction period that is approaching for the midterm elections.

Here’s what you need to know…

The Restriction Period

If you are running ads related to politics and social issues in the US, there will be a special restriction period running from 12:01 AM PT on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, through 11:59 PM PT on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

No new ads will be approved during this period.

This is important. If you’re running ads for a client, you cannot wait until the last minute to submit them. If they aren’t running prior to November 1, they will not get approved until after November 8.

In other words, this isn’t just about submitting ads prior to November 1. According to Meta, “the ads must be created with a valid disclaimer and have delivered an impression” prior to that time.

Do not wait.

What You Can and Can’t Do

If your ads received an impression in time, you’ll be able to take the following actions during the restriction period:

  • Edit the budget, bid, and scheduled end date
  • Pause and unpause the ads that were already running

That’s not much. Presumably, you won’t be able to do anything else. But, Facebook specifically lists the following actions that won’t be allowed. You can’t…

  • Edit ad copy and creative
  • Edit targeting, placement, optimization, or objective
  • Remove or add a disclaimer

Get Going Now

Because of the likely increased volume of ad submissions as well as added scrutiny that political and social issues ads will require, you should expect approval time to take longer. As a result, you absolutely need to get going soon to make sure that your ads get approved and get that necessary impression prior to the restriction period.

If you haven’t submitted ads within these categories before, you’ll need to first get authorization to run them. You’ll also need to get a disclaimer approved. Facebook recommends getting this done by October 18.

You should expect delays and possible rejections of your ads. So, build in a week for approval prior to the restriction period. Submit your ad by October 25, if you can.

Additional Resources

If you have questions related to the process of running political and social issues ads, check the following resources:

Watch Video

Your Turn

The restriction period makes sense. Facebook doesn’t want to accidentally allow ads that violate rules, potentially impacting elections. This gives Meta time to make sure that what runs during the final week is within the rules.

Have you started the process on submitting your political and social issues ads?

Let me know in the comments below!