Paid Social and Platform Ad Rules

Organic posting, covered in lesson 4, is free and slow. Paid posting buys speed and aim. The cost is paperwork: each platform wants to know who you are before it will take your money, and each one shows the public what you ran. The basics of Idaho's "paid for by" rule and the platform summary in course 46 are in Literature, Signs and Ads. Strategy (which platform for which audience) is in Platform by Platform. This lesson is the how-to for the paid side, platform by platform, with the money worked out.

Why the platforms set their own rules

Idaho law does not require anyone to register with Facebook or Google before advertising. Federal law does not either. The platforms are private companies, and after the 2016 election each built a political ad system of its own: verify the buyer, label the ad, archive it in public, and in some cases refuse whole categories. Their terms of service are contracts. A campaign that ignores them does not break a statute, but it loses the ad, sometimes the ad account, and sometimes the page.

The legal rules still apply on top. Idaho Code 67-6614A reaches "any other type of general public political advertising" that expressly advocates for or against a candidate or measure, and a paid social ad fits. For federal races, 11 CFR 110.11 sets detailed rules for internet ads. Lesson 6 covers both in depth. A platform's automatic "Paid for by" label may or may not satisfy them; Google's policy says plainly that its disclosure "isn't a replacement" for any disclosure the law requires.

Meta: Facebook and Instagram

Meta's policy on ads about social issues, elections or politics covers three kinds of ads. Election ads name a candidate, party or election. Political ads are about officials, legislation or political outcomes. Social issue ads are about contested topics, and Meta's list can catch a local fight that never names a candidate. A school levy ad, an ad against a rezone, an ad for a county jail bond: all are likely to land in the category. Meta reviews ads automatically and by hand; an ad it decides is political without authorization is rejected, and if it already ran, it goes into the Ad Library anyway, marked as run without a disclaimer.

Authorization

Before any such ad runs, the person managing it must complete Meta's authorization, and the page must carry a verified "Paid for by" disclaimer. Meta's policy page confirms the two requirements (authorization, and a verified "Paid for by" disclaimer naming who is responsible) but does not list the steps, and Meta's business help center blocks automated reading. The steps below therefore come from a third-party GoodParty.org guide updated August 15, 2025; check them against Meta's screens when you start:

• Identity. A government photo ID whose name matches the Facebook profile, sometimes a live selfie video, and in the US the last four digits of a Social Security number.
• Location. Confirmation that the advertiser is in the US, done digitally or by a postcard with a code mailed to a physical address. A post office box will not work, and a postcard can take up to two weeks.
• Two-step login. A phone that can receive codes, used during disclaimer setup.
• Disclaimer. Created in the page's settings for issue, electoral or political ads, with the payer's name, contact information and website. Meta checks it, often within an hour.
• Linking. The ad account must be linked to the page and the disclaimer. A campaign that verifies a person and a disclaimer but forgets this step still gets rejected ads.

Authorization belongs to a person, and that person's Facebook account becomes a single point of failure. Lesson 10 covers admin roles and two-factor setup so one lost phone does not end the ad program.

The Ad Library and the seven-year rule

Every political and issue ad Meta runs goes into its public Ad Library, with the disclaimer name, a spending range, an impressions range and audience breakdowns by age, gender and state. Meta's February 19, 2026 midterm post says these ads stay in the library for seven years and that the library holds more than 18 million US entries. Assume every ad you run will be read by your opponent, a reporter and the Secretary of State's office, and that your spending range will be compared with your Sunshine report.

AI and digitally altered content

Since 2024, Meta has required advertisers to disclose when a political or issue ad contains a photorealistic image or video, or realistic-sounding audio, that was digitally created or altered to show a real person saying or doing something they did not, a realistic person who does not exist, or a realistic event that did not happen. Meta set out the rule in a November 28, 2023 post, effective in the new year. Meta adds a label to the ad and to the library entry. The June 2026 update to the midterm post says Meta also adds information to ads it detects were made with third-party AI tools. Meta says disclosure is required only "in certain cases," the ones listed above, so routine cropping or color correction that changes nothing a viewer would rely on falls outside them. Idaho's own synthetic media law is the subject of lesson 9.

The final-week freeze

Meta blocks new US political, electoral and social issue ads in the last week before a general election, on the stated theory that there is no time left to dispute new claims. Its own February 19, 2026 midterm post confirms the final-week block and that ads with at least one impression before it may keep running, but gives no dates. For 2026, PPC Land reported on October 11, citing a Meta for Developers notice dated October 6, that the window runs from 12:01 a.m. Pacific on Tuesday, October 27, through 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday, November 3. Ads with a valid disclaimer that delivered at least one impression before the window may keep running. During the window an advertiser may change only the bid, budget, end date and on/off status. No new creative, no new targeting, no new placements. Meta recommended finishing authorization by October 13 and submitting ads for review by October 20.

The freeze has a quirk Idaho campaigns should know: it applies only to the general election week. Idaho's May primary and its local elections on other dates have no Meta blackout tied to them, though a local race or measure on the November general election ballot is caught by it.

Google: Search, YouTube and display

Google's political content policy defines US Election Ads as ads that feature a current officeholder or candidate for federal office, for state-level office (it names governor, secretary of state and state legislator), or for territorial office; a federal, state or territory party; or a state ballot measure that has qualified for the ballot. Running them requires Election Ads verification. Google says the application may take two steps, each up to 5 business days, and that verification must be renewed periodically and redone if the payment profile changes. The advertiser verified must be the end advertiser, not the agency.

The Idaho local bar

Below the federal and state rules, the same page has a list of state restrictions. Under "Idaho restrictions," as of October 2026, it says the following is not allowed: "Ads related to ballot measures and candidates for local elections." Google lists the same restriction for Nevada and New Jersey, and a broader one (state and local) for Maryland and Washington. The page gives no reason for any state.

In Idaho terms:

• Allowed after verification: candidates for the Legislature, governor and the other statewide offices, Congress and the U.S. Senate; Idaho political parties; a statewide initiative or referendum once it has qualified.
• Not allowed: candidates for county commission, sheriff, clerk, assessor, prosecutor, city council, mayor, school board, highway district, library district and every other local office; local bond, levy and recall measures.
• Usually outside the policy: an ad about an issue that does not refer to a candidate or a measure, such as an invitation to a city council hearing on water rates. Once the ad mentions a local vote, it is likely "related to" a local election.

So a candidate for city council, or a group backing a school levy, cannot buy Google Search ads or YouTube ads for the race. Their paid digital options are Meta, Snapchat, X, streaming services that sell directly, local news sites that sell their own ad space, and email and text (lessons 2 and 7).

Targeting, disclosure and AI

Google limits election ad targeting to geographic location (but not a radius around a point), age, gender, and contextual targeting such as placements, topics and keywords. No uploaded lists, no interests, no remarketing for election ads. For most formats Google writes the "Paid for by" disclosure itself from the verification record; for some third-party, audio and video formats the advertiser must put it in the ad. Election ads with synthetic or digitally altered content that realistically depicts people or events must be flagged with a checkbox in campaign settings. Google then generates the in-ad disclosure itself only for feeds and Shorts on mobile phones and for in-stream video; for all other formats the advertiser must also put a clear and conspicuous disclosure in the ad. Google's examples of acceptable wording include "Altered or synthetic content."

One more trap: Google's verification page says Google Ad Grants accounts, the free advertising many nonprofits use, are not eligible to run Election Ads or apply for verification. A nonprofit that wants to advertise on a statewide measure needs a regular paid account and its own verification.

X, TikTok, Snapchat and Nextdoor

X. X's political content policy splits political content ads (those that mention a candidate, party, official, election, measure, law or court outcome) from political campaigning ads (those that ask for votes or money, advocate for or against a candidate or measure, or come from PACs). Campaigning ads require the advertiser to be certified first, and in the US they may be bought only by US citizens or US-based entities. Targeting for campaigning ads is limited to location, age, gender, interests and keywords, custom audiences and follower look-alikes. X publishes campaigning ads in a Political Ads Library. The policy puts compliance with disclosure law on the advertiser.

TikTok. TikTok's politics policy, updated July 2026, says it does not allow paid political advertising. The ban covers ads that reference, promote or oppose candidates, officials and parties, ads from PACs and campaign organizations, and ads advocating for or against elections, referenda, ballot measures or policy outcomes. It reaches the Promote button and creators paid to make branded political content. Organic posts are allowed under the community guidelines. Government bodies may run some public-interest ads through a sales representative, and official election offices may advertise voting logistics.

Snapchat. Snap's political and advocacy ad policy allows election and issue ads, reviewed case by case. Every political ad needs "Paid for by" and the payer's name; US election ads must say whether a candidate or committee authorized them, and unauthorized ones must give the sponsor's contact information. Snap may ask for proof of factual claims and says it may publish political ad details, including spend and targeting, in its political ads library. Attack ads are allowed but may not go after a candidate's personal life.

Nextdoor. Nextdoor's ad policy, effective April 1, 2025, says no political ads are permitted through self-serve. Ads may not advocate for or against a candidate, party, legislation or ballot proposition or fundraise for them; managed-service clients may run local issue ads in certain regions. That leaves Nextdoor organic posting, with its own neighborhood rules, covered in lesson 4.

Platform (as of October 2026)	Idaho local candidate or measure	Idaho legislative or statewide	Buyer check	Public archive	Political targeting limits
Meta (Facebook, Instagram)	Allowed with authorization	Allowed with authorization	ID, US location, two-step login, disclaimer	Ad Library, 7 years	Sensitive detailed targeting removed in 2022
Google (Search, YouTube, display)	Not allowed	Allowed with verification	Election Ads verification, up to 2 steps of 5 business days	Political ads transparency report	Location (no radius), age, gender, contextual
X	Allowed with certification	Allowed with certification	Certification; US citizens or US entities only	Political Ads Library	Location, age, gender, interests, keywords, custom and look-alike audiences
Snapchat	Allowed, case-by-case review	Allowed, case-by-case review	Review; no foreign payers	Political Ads Library	Not stated in policy
TikTok	Not allowed	Not allowed	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable; paid creator posts also barred
Nextdoor	Not allowed (self-serve)	Not allowed (self-serve)	Managed clients only, local issue ads	Not stated	Not applicable

Sources: each platform's policy page listed in the sources for this lesson. Platforms revise these pages without notice.

Targeting limits, and what is left

On November 9, 2021, Meta announced that on January 19, 2022 it would remove detailed targeting options tied to sensitive topics across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and its Audience Network. The removed options included terms tied to political beliefs, social issues, causes, political organizations and figures, religion, sexual orientation and some health causes. A campaign can no longer pick "interested in conservative politics" or "interested in environmental causes." What remains is geography, age, gender, and interests Meta does not count as sensitive.

Google is tighter for election ads: location without a radius, age, gender and context. X allows more, including custom audiences. For a small Idaho campaign, the practical result is that geography does most of the work. A legislative candidate targets the district's ZIP codes or counties; a city council candidate targets the city. Because Idaho legislative districts follow county and city lines only part of the way, a campaign should expect some spend to land outside the district and should count that as a cost in the budget, not a mistake.

Streaming and connected TV

Streaming ads reach people watching on smart TVs and streaming devices. A small campaign usually buys them one of two ways: directly from a streaming service's self-serve ad tool, if it accepts political ads, or through a local broadcaster or cable company that resells streaming inventory with its own. The rules differ from broadcast. The federal equal opportunities and lowest unit charge rules in 47 U.S.C. 315 bind broadcast licensees and cable systems; do not assume a streaming app owes a candidate its lowest rate or equal time. The Idaho disclaimer rule still reaches a paid streaming ad that expressly advocates, and for federal races the internet disclaimer rule in 11 CFR 110.11(c)(5) applies to ads "placed or promoted for a fee" on another's application or platform, which includes streaming. Each seller has its own political ad review, and many require the same "Paid for by" language on screen. Minimum buys vary by seller and change often; ask for a written quote.

Budget math

Paid social is priced in three ways: by impression (CPM, cost per thousand), by click (CPC) and, on some objectives, by result. The numbers below are illustrative only. They are round figures chosen to make the arithmetic easy, not quotes from any platform. Real prices depend on the audience, the season and the competition, and political ads get more expensive in October as every campaign bids for the same eyes.

Measure	Formula	Millbrook numbers
Impressions	Budget / CPM x 1,000	$1,500 / $12 x 1,000 = 125,000
Frequency	Impressions / reach	125,000 / 15,000 = 8.3
Clicks	Budget / CPC	$500 / $1.25 = 400
Sign-ups	Clicks x conversion rate	400 x 10% = 40
Cost per sign-up	Spend / sign-ups	$500 / 40 = $12.50

All prices in this table are illustrative. Track your own numbers from day one, as Measurement and Experiments and lesson 10 describe.

Questions and answers

Our group is a 501(c)(4) that only talks about a road bond. Do we need Meta authorization?

Almost certainly. A bond ad is about a ballot measure, which Meta treats as an election ad, and even a general ad about road funding may count as a social issue ad. Authorize first. Under Idaho law, a group spending on a measure may also be a political committee or an independent spender with its own reports; course 46 lesson 7 on ballot measures and issue campaigns covers that.

Can a school board candidate run YouTube ads at all?

Not through Google Ads, because school board is a local office and Google bars Idaho local election ads. A candidate can still post videos organically on YouTube, and can share the same video in paid Meta, Snapchat or X ads.

The freeze starts October 27. We printed a new ad on October 28. Can it run on Instagram?

Not as a new ad. Under Meta's 2026 notice, only ads that delivered an impression before 12:01 a.m. Pacific on October 27 may keep running, and their creative cannot change. Post it organically, email it and text it instead.

Do platform ad libraries replace Idaho reporting?

No. The Ad Library shows spending ranges; the Sunshine report shows exact payments. The library is a check on the report, and reporters use it that way.