Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 27 February 2020
Bloomberg's online campaign tests Facebook, Twitter rules

By DAVID KLEPPER and policy takes effect March
AMANDA SEITZ 5.
Associated Press That altered video could
Mike Bloomberg's stockpile be the beginning of a "slip-
of cash, swarm of employ- pery slope," warned Tara
ees and paid social media McGowan, the co-found-
influencers are testing the er of Acronym. Her group
abilities of online platforms has pledged to spend $74
-- and his Democratic chal- million in digital advertis-
lengers -- to keep up with ing to keep Democrats in
an expensive internet cam- the spotlight this year and
paign. compete with Trump's digi-
Despite the billionaire and tal presence.
former New York City may- "I hope they don't cross
or's late entry into the presi- that line again, but he re-
dential race, he has far ally doesn't have anything
outspent his rivals on nearly to lose," McGowan said.
every platform in a matter The campaign reeled it in
of weeks. Monday after blowback
His unconventional online from a series of tweets that
strategy is heavy on memes included fake quotes from
and the paid support of Sanders praising authoritar-
prominent social media Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, raises his ian leaders like North Ko-
users, blurring the lines be- hand during the Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday, Feb. 25, rea's Kim Jong Un and Rus-
tween political advertising, 2020, in Charleston, S.C., co-hosted by CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. sia's Vladimir Putin.
satire and misinformation. Associated Press Critics called the tweets
That has not only boosted Bloomberg has so far spent run humorous, self-depre- His Facebook video ad of disinformation. A Bloom-
the platforms' bottom lines, $55 million on Facebook cating messages promot- former President Barack berg spokeswoman said
but has also revealed how and Instagram ads, $9 ing himself on accounts Obama describing him as the tweets were a joke but
easily their policies can be million of that in the past of popular Instagram per- a leader has been power- acknowledged the cam-
bent. week. That compares to sonalities with millions of ful — and confusing. paign is considering label-
"We're in the position where $33 million spent so far by younger followers. In Obama's hometown of ing future posts as satire
tech companies can't Republican President Don- The platform had discour- Chicago, Rep. Danny Da- to avoid accusations of
even apply their own poli- ald Trump, and $10 million aged campaigns from vis, a longtime Democratic spreading misinformation.
cies to what we're seeing," overall spent by Vermont paying other Instagram congressman, has heard "Bloomberg is walking this
said Mark Jablonowski, Sen. Bernie Sanders, a accounts but amended its from people who thought very fine line," said Syra-
chief technology officer at Democratic rival. policies to allow them hours Obama had endorsed cuse University professor
DSPolitical, a digital adver- Bloomberg even leads on after the pro-Bloomberg Bloomberg. And even Jenny Stromer-Galley, who
tising firm that has worked Snapchat, an app popular posts went up, as long as those who know Obama researches online cam-
with several Democratic for sharing photos and short they disclose who paid for hasn't endorsed Bloomberg paigns. She said his over-
campaigns this year. "It's videos, where political ad the sponsored content. find the message highly ef- all online approach could
a different paradigm, and spending is negligible. All Facebook, which owns fective, Davis said. mislead voters who fail to
this mix is likely to be effec- the presidential campaigns Instagram, didn't collect "They know that it does not grasp the satire or who
tive." combined have spent revenue for the sponsored say that Barack Obama don't know that influencers
Bloomberg's self-funded roughly $788,000 -- with content so it won't catalog was endorsing Mike Bloom- supporting him may have
campaign allows him to Bloomberg's campaign the posts for public view- berg, but they also know it been paid to do so.
try out new online tactics spending almost all of it: ing in Facebook's ad data- sounds like it could," Davis, It remains to be seen if
and quickly buy an online $686,000. base, where anyone can who has endorsed Demo- Bloomberg's approach
community that other can- Earlier this month Bloom- see how much a politician cratic presidential candi- will translate into votes. He
didates have spent years berg exposed a loophole spent on messages. date Joe Biden, said of the won't appear on a ballot
building out. in Instagram's policies to His campaign has stirred up ad. until 14 states hold prima-
trouble on Twitter, too. After Bloomberg's widely ries next Tuesday.
Last week, Twitter suspend- panned first debate ap- But whoever wins the
ed nearly 70 accounts pearance last week, the Democratic nomina-
for posting identical pro- campaign posted an ed- tion will have to contend
Bloomberg messages, in ited video clip that made it with Trump, who regularly
violation of Twitter's rules appear as if his opponents retweets memes, videos
against spam. stood in awkward silence and photos from his online
Bloomberg's campaign for 20 seconds, as crickets army of supporters -- even
said the messages were chirped in the background, when the tweets are mis-
taken from an app that when Bloomberg asked leading or offensive.
allows campaign staffers who else on stage had "What's made Trump's digi-
and volunteers to share the ever started a business. tal program so formidable
language with their friends Bloomberg's campaign in- isn't just how much he spent
and family. The campaign sists the video was "tongue- on ads — it's how he spent
said it did not create any in-cheek." those funds," McGowan
of the accounts that were Facebook said the video said. "His campaign has
taken down by Twitter on did not violate any of its been learning who his base
Friday. policies. Twitter, however, is, what issues mobilize
Still, Bloomberg's online said such a campaign them, and has been able
campaign has people talk- video would be labeled as to use those insights to fig-
ing. manipulated once a new ure out who will respond."q