Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 22 May 2018

Social media under microscope in emotive Irish abortion vote

By JILL LAWLESS vote." A day later, Google
DUBLIN (AP) — In homes went even further, halting
and pubs, on leaflets and all referendum advertising
lampposts, debate is raging as part of efforts to pro-
in Ireland over whether to tect "election integrity." The
lift the country's decades- company said it was aware
old ban on abortion. Pro- of "concerns" around the
repeal banners declare: issue but declined to say
"Her choice: vote yes." An- what prompted the deci-
ti-abortion placards warn sion. Research by the Trans-
against a "license to kill." parent Referendum Initia-
Online, the argument is just tive and University College
as charged — and more Dublin found "some indica-
shadowy, as unregulated tions of large-scale spend-
ads of uncertain origin bat- ing on unregulated Google
tle to sway voters before and YouTube ads" before
Friday's referendum, which Google's ban.
could give Irish women the Google's decision infuriat-
right to end their pregnan- ed anti-abortion campaign
cies for the first time. Save the Eighth, which
The highly charged cam- was about to launch a se-
paign took a twist this ries of YouTube ads when
month when Facebook Google, which owns the
and Google moved to re- In this photo taken on May 17, 2018, a pro life supporter canvassing for a No vote on the streets video-sharing site, pulled
strict or remove ads relat- of Dublin, Ireland. the plug.
ing to the abortion vote. It is Associated Press Spokesman John McGuirk
the latest response to glob- accused the Mountain
al concern about social through messages on hot- and allowing abortion on came from inside Ireland. View, California-based
media's role in influencing button topics. request up to 12 weeks of But several dozen were ei- search giant of "direct for-
political campaigns, from Few subjects are more pregnancy. ther untraceable or from eign interference in a refer-
the U.S. presidential race to emotive than abortion, es- Ireland is no stranger to ref- overseas, including some endum campaign."
Brexit. pecially in largely Roman erendums — this is its fifth in that have been linked to "You have a multinational
"We shouldn't be naive Catholic Ireland. Despite five years — and the coun- U.S.-based anti-abortion or- corporation essentially say-
in thinking Ireland would the country's growing di- try's electoral laws regu- ganizations. ing that this country's de-
be immune from all these versity and liberalism — late traditional forms of Several pages, with names mocracy is compromised,
worldwide trends," said voters legalized gay mar- campaigning. Radio and like "Just the Facts About and they have provided
lawmaker James Lawless, riage in a 2015 referendum television ads are banned the 8th Amendment" and no evidence for that what-
technology spokesman for — the result is expected to completely, and foreign "Undecided on the 8th," soever," he said.
the opposition Fianna Fail be close. The campaign is political donations are out- claimed to give neutral in- McGuirk dismisses the role
party. being watched, and some- lawed. But the 20-year-old formation but had a clear of overseas ads in the refer-
"Because of the complete times influenced, by anti- electoral rules don't cover anti-abortion agenda. endum, saying most were
lack of any regulation on abortion groups in the U.S. social-media advertising, Such pages can be used to "small, amateurish ads ba-
social media campaign- and elsewhere. and there is no limit on identify undecided voters, sically made by John and
ing in Ireland, somebody at Voters are being asked campaign spending. who can then be targeted Mary in New Jersey telling
the moment can throw any whether they want to "It's a complete Wild, Wild with tailored ads — a prac- Irish people to pray the ro-
amount of money, from keep or repeal the eighth West," said Craig Dwyer of tice that has been under sary for a 'no' vote. They
anywhere in the world, with amendment to Ireland's the Transparent Referen- scrutiny since revelations weren't helping us in the
any message — and there's constitution, added in 1983, dum Initiative, a volunteer that political consultancy first place."
nothing anybody can do which commits authorities group set up to collect in- Cambridge Analytica har- McGuirk sees allegations
about it." to defend equally the right formation on the ads being vested Facebook users' of shady social-media ad-
The role of online ads in to life of a mother and an used to target Irish Face- data to micro-target select vertising as an attempt to
elections is under scrutiny unborn child. Abortion is le- book users. "When we start- groups during the U.S. presi- undermine the "no" cam-
following revelations that gal only in rare cases when ed collecting this informa- dential race. paign because it was win-
Russian groups bought the woman's life is in dan- tion there was absolutely Concern about the impact ning the online war. As
ads on platforms such as ger, and several thousand zero regulation." of online ads led Facebook with the Trump and pro-
Google and Facebook to Irish women travel each The group has compiled to announce May 8 that it Brexit campaigns, Save the
try to influence the 2016 U.S. year to terminate pregnan- and analyzed almost 900 would no longer accept Eighth paints itself as an
presidential race. Many of cies in neighboring Britain. Facebook ads connected referendum-related ad- underdog, battling what
the ads were designed to Prime Minister Leo Varad- to the referendum. Many vertisements from outside it sees as pro-repeal bias
sow confusion, anger and kar's center-right govern- were placed by registered Ireland in order to "ensure among mainstream media
discord among Americans ment backs lifting the ban lobby groups, and most a free, fair and transparent and politicians.q