How to get exempted as a News Publisher from the Political Content Policy
Per our Political Content Policy, news publishers who meet the following criteria may run ads that reference political content, candidates, political parties, or elected or appointed government officials, but may not include advocacy for or against those topics.
- Contact information is available on their website.
- “About” information is available on their website.
- Dedicated reporter/editorial staff information is available on their website.
- The publication has a searchable archive available on their website.
- The publication is not primarily a customer-generated or aggregated content platform.
- The publication is dedicated to publishing news.
- The publication is not dedicated to advocating on a single issue.
- The publication’s website meets either of the following:
- To advertise globally, the publication’s website must have at least 3 million monthly unique visitors worldwide.
- To advertise within a particular country, the publication’s website must have at least 100,000 monthly unique visitors.
News publishers must self-identify and meet the above criteria for this exemption to apply.
An organization’s status as a “news publisher” is based solely on the criteria described in this policy, and does not constitute an endorsement by X of the views espoused by that organization.
News publishers remain subject to our Ads Policies, including but not limited to the prohibition on advocacy for or against political content. X may decide to revoke a news publisher’s exemption at any point for violating X’s Ads Policies, Terms of Service or Rules.
Getting started
To get started, submit an application here. Note that you must have an advertiser account to get exempted.
What will I need to get exempted?
Entities applying for exemption must provide links to the following information:
- Website
- Link to contact information
- Link to “About” page
- Link to dedicated reporter/editorial staff
- Link to searchable archive
News publishers are asked to provide proof of monthly unique visitors to their website in the markets they wish to advertise.
All news publishers applying for exemption will need to provide one or more @usernames from which they intend to run political content ads. News publishers can submit @usernames for affiliated reporters and journalists.
What are the additional eligibility requirements for submitted @usernames?
In addition to complying with all general X Ads policies, @usernames associated with the certified ads account must adhere to the following requirements:
- Profile photo, header photo, and website must be consistent with the @username’s online presence
- Bio must include a website that provides valid contact info
- If @username name is not related to the certified entity, the bio must include the following disclaimer: "Owned by [certified entity name]"
- Comply with our Rules and Terms of Service
Affiliated reporter/journalist @usernames must also meet the following requirements:
- Profile includes journalist/publisher’s name.
- Bio discloses affiliation to news publisher and links to the publication’s website.
- Bio states they are a reporter/journalist.
- Reporter/journalist must be listed in their parent organization’s website.
What happens after I apply for exemption?
Upon completion and review of the application, we’ll notify you if the submitted @usernames meet the criteria and eligibility requirements outlined above. Once completed, you’ll be able to promote political content advertising from the eligible @username without additional requirements. Non-exempted entities can apply for certification here.
