OTTAWA — A new law requiring online platforms to publish a digital registry of all political ads posted during the coming federal election campaign will apply only to paid advertisements. As guidelines issued by Elections Canada on Wednesday point out, the law does not apply to texts, emails or other private messages. "We reach millions of people organically every week," says Jeff Ballingall, founder of Ontario Proud and its federal offshoot. Google Canada has opted not to sell any space for political ads in the coming federal campaign rather than comply with the registry law. But in the guidelines issued Wednesday, Elections Canada warns that platforms that do that must take active steps to ensure they don't display any paid political advertising.

Source: Huffington Post April 25, 2019 00:56 UTC