Facebook is tightening rules for political ads in countries which have elections scheduled in the first half of the year. Political advertisers will have to confirm their identity and location before running ads, which will be housed in a public, searchable library for up to seven years. The rules are expected to roll out worldwide before June 2019—ahead of Canada’s federal election, which is likely to be in October. (Reuters)

Talking point: It’s the latest effort from the social media company to mitigate its role in the spreading of fake news, following criticism from politicians around the world, including Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. The Liberal government’s election law, Bill C-76, requires large online platforms to create registries like the one Facebook is set to launch. The news comes the same day that a Pew Research report found that 74 per cent of Facebook users don’t understand how they are profiled for ad-targeting purposes. While elected officials have applauded Facebook’s efforts, Facebook has been criticized for allowing U.S. advertisers to obfuscate their identities, Reuters reports.