Reintroduce the Honest Ads Act So Voters Can See Who Pays for Online Ads

Fake crowds and hidden sponsors shape policy when no one can see who paid.

A letter to your members of Congress. Facts checked September 24, 2026.

The explainer behind this letter Astroturfing How fake grassroots campaigns are built, and how to spot them

The Letter

Subject Bring Back the Honest Ads Act

In 2017, nearly 18 million of the more than 22 million comments the FCC received on net neutrality were fake, the New York Attorney General found. Vendors paid by the broadband industry made 8.5 million of them using real people's names. In 2024, federal prosecutors charged that Russia's state broadcaster secretly sent nearly $10 million to a Tennessee company making political videos for American audiences.

Paying for persuasion is legal. Hiding who paid is the problem, and online it is easy to do.

The Honest Ads Act would apply the disclosure rules that already cover TV and radio political ads to online ads, so anyone can see who paid for them. It was last introduced in 2023 as S. 486 and never got a vote.

Please reintroduce or co-sponsor the Honest Ads Act in this Congress.

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Call Your Representative

U.S. Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121

I'm calling to ask my member of Congress to reintroduce or co-sponsor the Honest Ads Act.
Nearly 18 million of the FCC's net neutrality comments in 2017 were fake, and prosecutors say Russia's state broadcaster secretly funded a U.S. video company in 2024.
The Honest Ads Act would apply TV and radio ad disclosure rules to online political ads. It was last introduced in 2023 and never got a vote.
I'm a constituent and I vote.

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The Facts Behind the Ask

Nearly 18M of 22M+ FCC net neutrality comments in 2017 were fake (source)
Nearly $10M from Russia's RT to a Tennessee video company, prosecutors charge (source)
2023 last year the Honest Ads Act was introduced (S. 486); no vote (source)

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