Brown also denied allegations that this was a "criticism or judgment" of publishers. It's just meant to encourage "more informed consumption," he said.

This isn't likely to satisfy publishers who've seen their ads and promoted posts vanish and have sometimes turned to registering as political advertisers to get news stories into people's feeds. However, they might get Facebook to change its mind regardless of how much they push for a special exemption. The company is determined to prevent election meddling, and has been willing to take drastic steps (such as blocking all foreign ads during Ireland's referendum) to avoid even a hint of impropriety. The new disclosure policy is consistent with that take-no-chances attitude.