OpenSecrets unveils new online ads database

See also:  Dark Money: Investigative Resources

With the digital-dominated 2020 election shifting into high gear, OpenSecrets is releasing a new searchable, sortable online ads database that provides comprehensive details about political ad spending on Google and Facebook.

OpenSecrets is tracking over 80,000 online political advertisers, more than four times the number of committees registered with the Federal Election Commission. Each advertiser has its own profile, which includes:

• Its total spending on both Facebook and Google ads over time

• Information about and links to each of the Facebook and Google pages where it runs ads

• Its total Facebook ad spending in each state

• Visit the new Online Ads section

  "Online ads are an indispensable tool for modern political campaigns aiming to attract donors or sway voters. The searchable portal, made possible by our partners, provides a snapshot of just how much political forces are spending online by pulling data from Facebook and Google. Each advertiser has its own profile that details its spending on each platform over time, and how much the advertiser is spending to target Facebook users in each state. Find out more about online ad spending related to the presidential election for Biden and Trump.

  "OpenSecrets displays data from Facebook starting on January 1, 2020 and data for Google starting on May 27, 2018."

  

  OpenSecrets.org: Online Political Ad Spending.
  [Image source. Click image to open in new window.]

Online ads are at the center of strategies to misinform and deceive voters ahead of Election Day. This section will help users identify the online forces behind political messages and better understand their affiliations with political groups. Mysterious "dark money" organizations, industry groups and fake news websites are among the advertisers pouring millions into ads to influence voters.

OpenSecrets used machine learning to group numerous Facebook and Google pages into one distinct profile, allowing users to see the full extent of each advertiser's political spending. Our partners at the Wesleyan Media Project and the NYU Online Political Ads Transparency Project contributed substantially to the data collection for this project, which was made possible by support from Democracy Fund and Media Democracy Fund.

For over 35 years, the Center for Responsive Politics has empowered Americans with information and helped propel the discussion on transparency in governance. CRP's in-depth research and analysis reveal important facts about how our nation's politics and policies are shaped and influenced.

About the Center For Responsive Politics

Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Founded in 1983, CRP's vision is for Americans to be empowered by access to clear and unbiased information about money's role in politics and policy and to use that knowledge to strengthen our democracy.

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