Meta Must Pay $35 Million for Washington Election Law Violation

Meta must pay $35 million in civil penalties after a Washington state appeals court turned down its attempt to challenge a law requiring it to maintain political advertisement records.

A panel of appeals judges upheld a trial court’s finding that Meta violated Washington’s Fair Campaign Practices Act after it failed to provide three requestors with information about political ads on its platform between 2018 and 2021.

The law doesn’t unconstitutionally compel speech from Meta, as state and federal courts have found election-related disclosure requirements distinct from other burdens on political speech, and the law appropriately serves a governmental interest, Judge ...