In an attempt to counter the issue of misinformation spread through its platform, Facebook on Tuesday said that it would require British political adverts posted on its pages to display disclaimers and identity flags.

The parliament in Britain has sought the tech firms like the Facebook to bring them into the fold of disseminating misleading political information and targeting citizens by using data manipulation methods, in the backdrop of seismic political shifts like the one that happened when the Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

Facebook became the target of criticism in the United States for its approach towards fake news reports and disinformation, which according to many had affected in the 2016 presidential election, won by Donald Trump.

All those advertisers who come up with political figures, material or parties will be obliged to avail evidence of their own identity and location along with stating on the Facebook about who is paying for the advertisement, the firm said.

“We see this as an important part of ensuring electoral integrity and helping people understand who they are engaging with,” it said in a statement, while adding that the move was a “significant change” for all those who seek to place adverts on the site.

The information related to the advert being displayed will be stored by Facebook for as much as seven years for later use if required.

“By having people verify who they are, we believe it will help prevent abuse,” Facebook added.

Facebook was accused of allowing its platform to mine personal data during the 2016 Presidential elections in the US. Russia was accused of using these kinds of platforms to target its selective audience with the aim to influence the opinion for the elections which amounted to meddling.

Apart from that, there were many reports almost in a series which brought Facebook to a limelight. It was during the news report of UK based Cambridge Analytica of using Facebook user data for political campaigns that sparked outrage all over the world and everyone wondered about the safety guarantee of the social media platform.

As per a survey done PEW Research Center, many Americans has since then left the platform or had put it to pause for indefinite period. The reason cited by the research was that the people there don’t feel the social media platform to be secure any more.

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