WASHINGTON, DC – Today, following news that Microsoft / Xandr will no longer allow political advertising, DSPolitical – America’s leading voter-targeted digital advertising company for Democratic candidates and progressive causes – released the following statement from its president and chief technology officer, Mark Jablonowski:

“Once again, Big Tech is pulling the rug out from under American voters. Whether Microsoft and Xandr like it or not, political advertising is critical to communication in a functioning democracy. At a time when many state and local news outlets are dying on the vine, political ads could be the only way voters learn about candidates seeking public office in their communities.”

“Ad bans like this benefit incumbents with well-established brands and hurt political newcomers struggling to break through and get noticed. They benefit corporations like Exxon, who can continue running ads about their supposed work to help our environment, and hurt advocates like Sierra Club, who can no longer run ads setting the record straight about Exxon.”

“Democrats feel the sting of political ad bans far more than Republicans. Data from the last election shows Democrats did better in races with more political ad spending. Furthermore, because the Democratic electorate is more nuanced, targeting is far more important for victory than it is for Republicans whose electorate is more monolithic and thus easier to reach.”

“Though it is not in their nature, big tech companies like Microsoft need to think about what is best for our democracy and restore the rights of advocates and political leaders to reach voters. Today’s news underscores the importance of campaigns working with technology providers who don’t rely exclusively on one advertising technology platform to reach targeted voters.”

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