Focus at Four: Texas Ethics Commission to require social media influencers to disclose payment for political commentary

AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) – Social media and influencers are now being more closely scrutinized when it comes to campaign spending. When you see a political ad on TV or in the newspaper, you know it was financed by someone. But what about your online feed?

This week, the Texas Ethics Commission voted to require social media personalities to disclose when they are paid to post or repost political advertisements.

Joining KBTX to discuss the topic is Daron Shaw, a Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Chair of State Politics at the University of Texas at Austin.

He says the requirement is taking care of a loophole that social media left in the political sphere for elections.

“The key distinction is actually one that is actually derived from federal election campaigns, but it has an application at the state level and that is what we call an in-kind contribution. If I perform a service for you, you are a candidate for office and I perform a service for you, that constitutes an an in-kind contribution, something for your campaign. But those laws have not been specified or updated, to take into account, how do we think of an influencer who is paid to say, ‘Hey go to this guy’s event, it’s happening in Austin this next weekend, it’s going to be great, it’s going to be lit, it’s going to be so awesome.’ Well, if you pay that person to do that, then essentially they are performing a service for you which is in kind to an in-kind contribution. So what TEC is trying to accomplish here, is to close what I think is increasingly seen as a loophole to state-wide campaign finance regulations,” said Shaw.

Watch the entire interview in the video above.

Shaw says campaign finance law is always evolving, and that there are two extremes on this issue in the public policy debate going on right now.

“There are people who think that we ought to have much more regulation, that we should really kind of curtail and monitor the existence of money in politics. There are other people who believe money will find its way into politics, and what is critical is disclosure, and making information about these connections, who is paying what, making that transparent to the public so that people can make a judgment,” said Shaw.

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