Political Ads Follow Different Rules Than Product Ads
A University of Tennessee professor explains why political advertising faces fewer restrictions than commercial advertising and how voters can trace who pays for it.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Law
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University of Tennessee professor Eric Haley explained that product ads must follow Federal Trade Commission rules against false or misleading claims, while political ads are treated as political speech with the highest First Amendment protection. Ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, he said voters should look at who funds an ad.
Why it matters
Because the government cannot restrict what a political ad says, voters must rely on disclosure of who paid for the message to evaluate it. Haley's research found that surveyed American adults averaged a D on basic political knowledge and an F on political advertising laws.
Political ads must disclose who paid for them, and on TV the funding source must be labeled, while on social media the original creator is often impossible to identify after content is widely shared.
The players
Eric Haley
Eric Haley is a University of Tennessee professor who studies political advertising and its regulation, and he led research measuring public understanding of political ad laws.
The details
Haley explained that some ads come from political action committees or front groups, and that a 2010 Supreme Court ruling struck down limits on corporate spending in campaigns, treating money as free speech. He advised viewers to search the name of a group and look for who funds it, noting that nonprofit watch groups trace political action committee funding.
Timeline
About two years before publication: Haley's team surveyed American adults on political knowledge.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Voters head to the polls for Election Day.
Political Context
The 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC struck down limits on corporate spending in campaigns, treating money as free speech. That decision helped open the door to political action committees and front groups whose funding voters must now trace.
Voters in Knoxville and across Tennessee who see an ad should check the disclosure label and search the sponsoring group's name to find its funders before deciding how much weight to give the message. Ads on social media may not reveal their original source, so the funding trail can be harder to follow.
The takeaway
Before trusting a political ad, identify who paid for it and look up that group's funding. The rules protect the speech itself, so the disclosure label is the voter's main tool.
Further reading
For more on the legal rules governing campaign messages, see Law coverage on Wisevoter.
More information
Review the FEC listing of political action committees to see registered committees and their filings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wvlt.
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