The Australian public support tighter regulation of political advertising on social media platforms, from truth in advertising, limits to micro-targeting, to bans on political advertising on social media altogether.

The findings, based on public polling conducted by Essential Research in November found:

• 73 per cent support requiring social media platforms to ensure political ads are factual
• 70 per cent require social media platforms to confirm organisations advertising politically are registered locally
• 66 per cent support preventing platforms from ‘micro-targeting’
• While 60 per cent support a back on social media altogether.

The figures were released as part of a report "Distorting the Public Square" by The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology associate fellow, Jordan Guiao.

The majority of Australians are not comfortable with the way government and companies collect and use their personal information, according to new research.

To coincide with its launch, the Australia Institute’s new Centre for Responsible Technology today released new research showing high levels of discomfort with the way personal information is collected, repurposed and stored.

The Australia Institute today launched the Centre for Responsible Technology, a new non-partisan centre designed to give people greater influence over the way technology is rapidly changing our world.