Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does my organization get when they join the Political Ads Program?

We offer a turn-key operation. After an organization has signed a licensing agreement to join the Political Ads Program, they will receive a welcome kit with an introductory letter about how to log into their account, and what the process is to start creating their notices. They will also have a dedicated Account Manager to ask any questions and receive ongoing support, especially for adding surveys into the information overlay that ad viewers see and to receive custom visual reporting.

There are icon files, implementation guidelines, and a custom-built notice tool included in the price of the program. We also offer integration options through APIs.

How would my organization write in the required information into the notice?

As a Political Ads participant, you would receive a login to a custom-made notice platform, built specifically for serving the icon on your ads. Inside the platform, you will have the ability to customize your ad notices in English and French. The benefit of using a platform for the notices is that you only need to update the notice in one place to affect all the ads using those tags. The tags you receive from the platform can be sent to your advertising agency, the publishers you’re working with, or to third-party advertising companies running campaigns on your behalf.

For DSPs, you have the ability to integrate with this platform directly, allowing you to create the icon-serving tags through your system. We can provide technical support for this integration.

Forward Logic Software, Inc. is the exclusive technology partner for the DAAC to help participants add icons and notices to their ads.

Are the funds I use to join the program considered advertising dollars under the Canada Elections Act?

Under the Canada Elections Act, the cost of participating in the DAAC’s Political Ads Program may be required to be included in the reporting of partisan advertising expenses and election advertising expenses subject to spending limits, depending upon when the advertising appears.

Under various provincial and territorial laws, you may be required to include the program in your reporting to regulators as well.

Click here to view fees and join.

By law, what notices do I need to show as a political advertiser?

The DAAC’s Political Ads Program helps companies comply with pertinent sections of the Canada Elections Act. Specifically, sections 349.5, 352, 429.3 and 449.2. These sections were part of Bill C-76, known as the Elections Modernization Act, which received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018.

Registered third parties must show (s. 349.5 and 352):

• Their name,

• Telephone number,

• Civic or internet address (URL),

• An indication that it has authorized the ad’s transmission.

Registered parties, or a person acting on its behalf, or a registered association that causes partisan advertising to be conducted must provide (s. 429.3 and 449.2):

• Notice that the ad was authorized by one of the party’s registered agents or one of the association’s electoral district agents.

The program may also meet the notice requirements in provincial and territorial election acts.

Under the Ontario Election Finances Act, the program applies to section 22(9).

In what way is the Political Ads Program helping my organization comply with the law?

As a political or issue-based advertiser, you have a responsibility to show ad viewers information about who is placing the ads being served to them.

You can do this by writing the notice into the ad copy itself, or you can use the Political Ads Program as an unobtrusive, interactive, notice. Upon mouse hover (or click/tap) of the purple icon that is shown on the ad, an information box displays inside the ad unit with the notice that is required in accordance with the Canada Elections Act and various provincial and territorial elections acts.

For all other organizations that assist with the placement of political or issue-based ads, you should facilitate your advertising partners as best as possible, ensuring correct and legible taglines. You may also be required to host an ad registry if you meed the visitor thresholds defined in the Act. Our platform can assist you with these efforts.

Can I run the Political Ads Program notice on issue-based ads?

Yes.

The notice can be used for organizations who are placing issue-based ads. The notice provides transparency to users, informing them of the ad’s origin.

What is issue-based advertising?

According to Elections Canada, issue advertising is the transmission of a message to the public during an election period that takes a position on an issue with which a candidate or registered party is associated without identifying the candidate or party in any way. Like other election advertising, issue ads must include a “tagline” (what the DAAC calls a “notice”).

There are three essential elements in issue advertising:

• Timing: The ad transmission must be during the election period. Any issue ads transmitted outside that period are not regulated.

• Content: The content of the ad must be for or against an issue with which at least one candidate or registered party is associated. Such issues could be social, domestic or foreign policy, economics, or national security issues. Individuals or groups can learn more about issues associated with registered parties and candidates based on the registered party or candidate's political platform, debates they participate in, social media campaigns, etc.

• Context: Determining whether a particular message promotes or opposes an issue with which a candidate or registered party is associated is largely done based on the facts. An issue ad transmitted during the election could at some point become associated with a candidate or registered party. It is, therefore, important to be mindful that any political ad for or against an issue transmitted on a platform during elections may be regulated.

More information can be found on the Elections Canada website.

The DAAC also recommends reviewing Meta’s framing of issue-based ads on their platform:

• How ads about social issues, elections or politics are reviewed

• List of top-level social issues in Canada

Who is the DAAC?

The Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) is a consortium of leading national advertising and marketing associations whose members share commitment to delivering a robust and credible program for responsible online interest-based advertising (YourAdChoices.ca) and political advertising (PoliticalAds.ca).