Over the weekend, Facebook (FB) banned a British
election ad from the Conservative Party after the BBC (British Broadcasting
Corporation) complained that the footage distorted its journalism.
However, it was just for business reasons that had
nothing to do with freedom of speech – Intellectual
property Rights.
The BBC complained that the fifteen seconds ad in
question includes a video from the Conservative Party that used news clips from
it and could damage the perceptions of its impartiality.
CNN business, a financial information and news
website, reported that the ad in question showed clips of BBC journalists
saying things such as ‘pointless delay to Brexit’ beside a montage of protest
footage and discussions in parliament, set to dramatic music. But, the clips
were from journalists quoting statements of politicians, including Prime
Minister Boris Johnson, who is going to campaign in the December 12 election
with the slogan ‘get Brexit done.’
According to Facebook’s ad library, the ad started on
28th November 2019 had been viewed around 430,000 times for a cost of about
$12,930 till December 1 when it was replaced with the below message provided in
the library:
The BBC said that they first asked the Conservative
Party to take the ad down, but the party declined. Hence, they approached FB,
which banned it.
Facebook said that it was a valid IP claim from the
rights holder, i.e., the BBC, as the Conservative Party had used its footage
without permission.
Facebook’s spokesperson added that whenever they
receive valid IP claims against any content on their platform, whether in
advertisements or elsewhere, they take the required action according to their
policies.
As per Facebook’s advertising policies, ads must never
contain content that violates or infringes on the rights of others, including
copyright, trademark, and other personal or proprietary rights.
Well, the social media giant’s policy on the election
or political ads has received severe criticism worldwide. The United Kingdom
(UK) imposes rules on how broadcasters can report on political biases,
especially around elections. As newspapers hold the freedom to impart politics,
broadcasters should be impartial. Since the BBC is publicly funded, it often
faces intense scrutiny.
The analysis prompted Twitter to announce that it
would limit political ads in the upcoming month.
Facebook, rather than addressing the BBC’s claim that
its materials had been used misleadingly, stuck to the legal arguments.
If we talk about the Conservative Party, it did not
respond to CNN’s request for comment but announced that all political parties
use BBC’s content. The Party added that it would ask the BBC if they, in the
interests of fairness, intend to complain against other political parties that
are using their content. For more visit: https://www.kashishipr.com/
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