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Facebook unveils new rules for political ads ahead of federal election

Click to play video: 'Facebook unveils its ‘war room’ — an attempt to stop election meddling ahead of midterms'
Facebook unveils its ‘war room’ — an attempt to stop election meddling ahead of midterms
WATCH ABOVE: Facebook unveils 'war room' used to stop election meddling ahead of U.S. midterms – Oct 18, 2018

OTTAWA – Facebook is launching a new advertisement library that will capture detailed information about political ads targeted at voters in Canada, including who pays for them and whom they target.

The move is part of the social-media giant’s response to changes the Trudeau government has made to Canada’s election laws aimed at stopping bad actors – foreign or domestic – from interfering with Canada’s upcoming federal election through advertising.

Bill C-76, which received royal assent in December, bans the use of money from foreign entities to conduct partisan campaigns.

WATCH: Election protection measures enhanced as Ottawa unveils new team to stop foreign interference

Click to play video: 'Election protection: Ottawa unveils new team to stop foreign interfere'
Election protection: Ottawa unveils new team to stop foreign interfere

It also requires online platforms, such as Facebook and Google, to create a registry of all digital advertisements placed by political parties or third parties during the pre-writ and writ periods and to ensure they remain visible to the public for two years.

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Google recently said the demands of the new law are too onerous for its advertising system, which auctions ad space on the fly. It’s simply refusing to take political advertisements in Canada around the upcoming election.

WATCH: Facebook’s targeted advertising makes Canada a target for online political interference, expert says
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Facebook’s advertising tool the most powerful in the history of advertising: Ferguson

Kevin Chan, head of public policy in Canada for Facebook, says the company is trying to exceed the standards the Canadian law sets.

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