Meta inert as surrogate advertisers push BJP ads in first week of poll code without disclosure of ties: Report

Despite having communal undertone, Meta did not remove these advertisements, which collectively reached millions of users across its platforms, the report said.

Between March 17 and March 23, immediately following the Election Commission of India's announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, numerous advertisers on Facebook and Instagram collectively invested over Rs 85 lakh in pro-BJP advertisements, according to an Indian Express analysis.

Additionally, the BJP and its affiliates in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha allocated Rs 32 lakh for ad spending during this period, the report said.

Analysis of Meta's ads library by The Indian Express showed that among the top 20 advertisers during March 17-23, seven accounts promoted content favoring the BJP, with no other top spender running surrogate ads for any different political party. The combined expenditure of these top 20 advertisers amounted to Rs 1.38 crore.

What did these ads convey?

Surrogate political advertisers employed diverse content genres, such as memes and cartoon strips, sometimes conveying misleading information without disclosing their affiliations with the promoted party.

The surrogate ads scrutinized by TExpress encompassed a spectrum from projecting favorable images of the ruling BJP's policies to targeting opposition figures, notably Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, and Arvind Kejriwal.

For instance, 'MemeXpress,' the leading spender on political ads on Meta with expenditures exceeding Rs 28 lakh, aired an ad on Facebook and Instagram targeting West Bengal users. This ad juxtaposed footage of gangster Ateeq Ahmed's fatal shooting with that of Trinamool stalwart Shahjahan Sheikh, recently arrested for alleged land grabs and sexual harassment during protests in Sandeshkhali. The ad's caption read: "Just need a bulldozer in Bengal to straighten all the stubborn Shahjahans." After running from March 8 to 16, Meta later removed this ad.

Similarly, 'Mudde ki Baat,' spending over Rs 20 lakh on political ads, aired an edited clip of Rahul Gandhi allegedly stating, "Hindutvavadis will have to be driven out of the country," accompanied by a Pakistani flag. This page spent over Rs 4 lakh solely on this ad.

Among the top 20 advertisers, other pages running pro-BJP ads without disclosing ties to the party include 'Sidha Chashma' (Rs 9.5 lakh), 'Amar Sonar Bangla' (Rs 9.3 lakh), 'Tamilakam' (Rs 8.2 lakh), Political X-Ray (Rs 7.7 lakh), and 'Bharat Todo Gang' (Rs 3.5 lakh).

Despite having communal undertone, Meta did not remove these advertisements, which collectively reached millions of users across its platforms, the publication said.

In response to inquiries by IE, a Meta spokesperson emphasized that surrogate advertisers attempting to evade disclosure policies face strict enforcement measures.

Paid ads by political parties, consulting firms

Besides surrogate advertisers, the BJP itself spent over Rs 23 lakh (ranking fourth among the top 20) on promotions, while its state units in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha collectively spent over Rs 9 lakh, Express report said.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) ranked sixth, spending more than Rs 14 lakh across two pages, and the Congress, at number 13, allocated just over Rs 5 lakh for ads from Rahul Gandhi’s Facebook page, it further stated.

Express also reports that during the period of March 17-23, the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) allocated over Rs 85 lakh on YouTube advertisements endorsing the Trinamool. Likewise, Populus Empowerment Network Private Limited (PEN), a political consultancy firm established by V Sabareesan, son-in-law of DMK leader and current Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, invested nearly Rs 28 lakh in ads supporting the party. In Andhra Pradesh, the YSRCP and TDP spent Rs 20 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively, for YouTube ads.

Since 2018, Meta mandates advertisers running socially and politically themed ads to disclose their details, accompanied by a 'paid for by' tag, a requirement not complied to in the case.