Meta Fails to Flag Political Ads Ahead of Bangladesh Election

Photo: Collected

As Bangladesh approaches national elections in February, political advertisements are already flooding social media. While such advertising is legal, platforms like Meta require every political ad to clearly disclose its sponsor, with noncompliance expected to trigger automatic detection and removal.

A recent investigation by Dismislab reveals flaws in Meta’s automated system. Ads lacking proper disclosure are slipping through, highlighting weaknesses in enforcement and raising concerns about transparency in digital campaigning.

Dismislab analysed Meta’s Ad Library from December 7 to 12, 2025, and identified at least 502 promotional materials referencing political parties or leaders. Of these, Meta failed to classify 41 ads as “political, election, or social issues,” while 32 directly promoted parties or leaders without the mandatory disclaimer.

The investigation also flagged 42 advertisements promoting products like T-shirts, caps, and hoodies featuring party logos. Although Meta rules require such ads to be categorised as a special political category, none were flagged. Instead, they were delivered to users as standard e-commerce ads, despite carrying political messaging.

Weaknesses in Meta’s political ad detection are not new. Ahead of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union election in September, similar inconsistencies were observed. Md. Pizuar Hossain, senior lecturer at East West University, warned that inconsistent flagging in a national election could undermine both public trust and electoral fairness.

Candidates whose ads are flagged may face lower visibility, slower approvals, and extra compliance burdens, while others bypass restrictions. Such asymmetry can distort voter access to information, skew campaign reach, and influence election outcomes independent of voter preference.

“If voters perceive that certain parties or candidates are treated unfairly by a powerful platform like Meta, it could fuel allegations of bias, deepen mistrust, and heighten polarisation in Bangladesh’s politically sensitive environment,” Hossain said.

Earlier studies have also shown that before the 2024 parliamentary elections, Meta incorrectly flagged many irrelevant ads as political while failing to detect actual campaign advertisements.