Twitter To Bring Back Political Ads To Potentially Increase Revenue

Political ads are coming back to Twitter.

The microblogging platform has recently announced it is unbanning political ads on its platform in the coming weeks as part of the relaxing of its policy for ads on Twitter.

The company previously banned political ads due to its belief that "political message reach should be earned, not bought," per its Twitter Business page.

Twitter Political Ads Revival Details

Twitter revealed in the announcement it made on its Twitter Safety account that it is relaxing its ads policy, affecting its cause-related ads in the US and its policy on political advertising.

The company mentioned that it is planning to expand the political advertising it permits in the coming weeks, meaning that the once-banned advertisements will soon be back on the platform.

As a result, election candidates and advocacy groups can soon spend money to promote themselves and their causes on Twitter's platform.

Furthermore, Twitter mentioned it is aligning its advertising policy with TV and other outlets, which could be a hint to the extent Twitter is changing its policies. The company will also ensure that its approach to reviewing and approving content protects people on Twitter, though how it will do so is yet to be disclosed.

However, Twitter will share more about its approach as its work on it progresses.

While Twitter didn't specify what would change under its new policies, the return of political ads on the platform could have a major effect on the political scene, especially in the upcoming 2024 US presidential elections, per The Verge.

A Reversal Of Decisions

Twitter's move to bring back political ads on its platform undoes the ban its co-founder and former CEO, Jack Dorsey, placed in 2019.

According to Dorsey's previous statement on political ads, political messaging should be earned, not bought, and allowing them on Twitter brings "significant risks" to politics, per BBC.

Dorsey's ban includes ads that contain references to political content, including appeals to votes, solicitations of financial support, and advocacy for or against any of the previously mentioned types of political content.

Brad Parscale, former president Donald Trump's manager for his re-election campaign, said that the ban was another attempt by the left to "silence" him and his fellow conservatives.

At the time, former president Donald Trump was a prolific user of the platform.

Revenue Safety Net

Interestingly, Twitter's move came at a time when advertisers are leaving the platform in droves following Elon Musk's takeover, with many being encouraged by the #StopToxicTwitter coalition of civil rights groups.

These advertisers include major companies like the Volkswagen Group, General Mills, Pfizer, and Mondalez.

With the mass exodus of advertisers, Twitter's revenue saw a significant drop, with Musk commenting that Twitter could file for bankruptcy in an emergency meeting in November 2022.

The possibility of Twitter going bankrupt was so great that the US Federal Trade Commission expressed deep concern for the company as it might happen by putting itself at risk of violating regulatory orders.

With this reversal, Twitter may find its revenue increasing as the 2024 presidential election nears.