Florida Legislature to take up Google AdWords Legislation

Huge development today in the ongoing saga over use of Google and Facebook advertising for political campaigns in Florida. State Representative Eric Eisnaugle (R) and State Senator Ted Deutch (D) announced today that they will be introducing legislation "to help match our laws with the next generation of communications." This announcement comes in wake of a complaint filed to the Florida Elections Commission over St. Petersburg Mayor candidate Scott Wagman's use of Google and Facebook advertising. Here's more on the announcement, as reported by the Tampa Tribune:

State Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando, plans to draft and file legislation to solve the problem of Internet “link ads” that led to a state Elections Commission investigation in the St. Petersburg mayor’s race.

The state’s laws “should not be archaic,” Eisnaugle said in a news release.

“Florida’s election laws were written well before the internet became a part of daily life for Floridians and do not recognize the important dynamic of online communications. I plan on bringing together stakeholders in the technology community and state elections officials to help match our laws with the next generation of communications.”

The issue arose with Elections Commission charges against mayoral candidate Scott Wagman’s link ads on Google, Facebook and other web sites.

As I mentioned last week, this case has the potential to significantly impact candidates' ability to advertise on Google, Facebook and other pay-per-click advertising platforms. The fact that the Legislature is taking up this issue so quickly is a good sign as this may be the quickest way to remedy this issue and set a strong precedent for other states dealing with similar issues. I will be watching this story very closely as it continues to unfold, so stay tuned.