New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a new "democracy agenda to protect election integrity, including a first-in-the-nation state law to require disclosures and disclaimers for online political ads. The legislative proposal, which is modeled upon the Honest Ads Act that Sunlight helped draft in Congress, would similarly expand the state's definition of political communication (electioneering) to include paid digital and Internet advertising, require platforms to maintain a public file of paid political ads, and make reasonable efforts to prevent foreign actors from buying ads.
Continue readingWinter is here
Here's hoping we can all find ways to be better neighbors and citizens in the new year. Our governments will only be as good as we make them, together.
Continue readingAmericans view U.S. government as increasingly corrupt
Over the past year, a new survey by the Transparency International found that American adults believe corruption has increased in the United States, with the White House being the most corrupt government institution. The results are bad news, with one exception: the vast majority of the public still believes that they can make a difference on corruption, a viewpoint that we at Sunlight also share. Here are six ways to make progress.
Continue readingA web of accountability for Trumpian conflicts
As Sunlight continues to catalogue conflicting presidential conflicts of interests, we’re driven by a collaborative vision that includes amplifying the great accountability reporting we see on social media and on our blog to bring attention to major developments. Here are some of the projects we’re tracking. If you notice something we’re missing, please let us know at conflicts@sunlightfoundation.com.
Continue readingThe Honest Ads Act would be a “valuable step in normalizing the status of political ads online”
The Honest Ads Act is the first significant legislative effort to address the new challenges of network propaganda, writes Harvard Law School professor Yochai Benkler, who sits on Sunlight's advisory board.
Continue readingHow federal agencies are quietly removing government Web resources, and why it matters
Under the Trump administration, federal agencies have been removing important Web resources without proactive notice or justification. We should hold our government accountable to clearly explain its actions and not remove Web content when there’s no good reason for doing so.
Continue readingTweets by @realDonaldTrump are official statements of the @POTUS, says Justice Department
Listening and responding to members of the public that is a minimum expectation for public servants in any democratic state, whether those voices are raised in protest, petition, email, send letters or reply on social media. While there are practical challenges to making sense of millions of emails, tweets, call or letters, blocks that violate the First Amendment rights of the public are not the solution to filter failure.
Continue readingOversight reports find promise, progress and room to improve on DATA Act implementation
In a new round of reports, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and agency inspectors general found both progress and room for improvements on the implementation of the DATA Act.
Continue readingPlease tell the FEC why you support more sunshine in online political ads
If you agree that it's time for the Federal Elections Commission to extend the definition of electioneering to online communications and require disclaimers and disclosures for paid political advertising on Internet platforms, please tell them!
Continue readingIt’s time for the Justice Department to finalize and release its new FOIA policy
As a result, this morning, the Sunlight Foundation, Cause of Action Institute, and our open government allies wrote a letter asking The United States Department of Justice and the The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to finalize and publish a new Freedom of Information Act policy that makes "release-to-one, release-to-all" the official stance of the United States government.
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