Political & Issue Advertising Policy

1. Purpose and Principles

Friendium is committed to supporting lawful civic expression while preventing manipulation, coercion, misinformation, and abuse of advertising systems. Political and issue-based advertising carries heightened societal impact and therefore requires enhanced safeguards.

This policy is guided by the principles of transparency, accountability, non-discrimination, and legal compliance across jurisdictions.

2. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to all paid or promoted content that:

• Advocates for or against political candidates, parties, or ballot measures
• Addresses elections, voting, governance, or public office
• Promotes or opposes public policy, legislation, or regulation
• Addresses socially significant public issues (e.g. immigration, public health, civil rights)
• Is sponsored by political actors, advocacy groups, or public-interest organizations

3. Advertiser Eligibility & Verification

Political and issue advertisers must undergo enhanced verification before launching campaigns. This may include:

• Identity verification of the sponsoring individual or organization
• Verification of geographic location and jurisdiction
• Disclosure of funding sources where required by law
• Acceptance of additional contractual terms

Friendium reserves the right to deny verification or revoke eligibility at any time.

4. Transparency & Disclosure Requirements

All political and issue advertisements must include clear disclosures, including:

• Prominent “Paid for by” or equivalent labeling
• Name of the sponsoring entity
• Contact or reference information where legally required

Advertisements that obscure sponsorship or misrepresent the advertiser’s identity are strictly prohibited.

5. Prohibited Political Advertising Practices

The following practices are prohibited:

• False or misleading claims about voting processes or eligibility
• Voter suppression, intimidation, or discouragement tactics
• Manipulated or fabricated media presented as authentic
• Foreign interference in domestic elections
• Targeting designed to exploit fear, hatred, or misinformation

6. Targeting Restrictions

Political and issue ads are subject to stricter targeting limitations. Advertisers may not:

• Target users based on sensitive personal attributes
• Micro-target individuals for political persuasion using inferred traits
• Use custom audiences derived from sensitive data sources

7. Election Period Safeguards

During designated election periods, Friendium may:

• Impose temporary freezes on new political ad campaigns
• Require additional disclosures or review timelines
• Restrict ads related to voting logistics or outcomes

These measures are intended to reduce last-minute manipulation and confusion.

8. Issue Advertising Considerations

Issue-based ads addressing public policy or social debates must:

• Avoid demonstrably false or misleading claims
• Provide context where claims may reasonably be disputed
• Comply with applicable advertising and consumer protection laws

9. Review, Monitoring & Auditing

All political and issue advertisements are subject to:

• Pre-launch review by automated and human systems
• Ongoing monitoring during campaign runtime
• Post-campaign audits for compliance and integrity

10. Ad Libraries & Public Records

Where required by law or platform policy, Friendium may maintain public or regulator-accessible archives of political advertisements, including metadata such as sponsor name, campaign duration, and reach.

11. Enforcement Actions

Violations of this policy may result in:

• Immediate ad suspension or removal
• Revocation of political advertising privileges
• Account-level enforcement actions
• Referral to regulatory or legal authorities where required

12. Appeals Process

Advertisers may appeal enforcement decisions by submitting supporting documentation and clarifications through Friendium’s designated appeals channels.

13. Legal Compliance & Jurisdictional Variations

Political advertising laws vary significantly by jurisdiction. Advertisers are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable laws, including election finance, disclosure, and foreign influence regulations.

14. Limitation of Liability

Friendium and Nexa-Group do not endorse political views expressed in advertisements and assume no liability for advertiser messaging, outcomes, or public response.

15. Policy Updates

This policy may be updated in response to legal, regulatory, or operational changes. Continued use of political advertising services constitutes acceptance of updates.

16. Contact

Political Ads Compliance: civic@friendium.com
Advertising Support: ads@friendium.com
Legal & Regulatory: legal@friendium.com