Online social network Facebook is allegedly planning to deploy its controversial “I’m a voter” button in Switzerland ahead of parliamentary elections next year. The Swiss authorities have not been officially informed by the US company, according to Swiss media reports. Republikexternal link, a Swiss online news magazine, on Wednesday quoted a report in the Schweiz am Wochenendeexternal link newspaper last month that Anika Geisel, manager of Facebook’s politics and government outreach team in Berlin, had met 20 politicians from all parties in Zurich on April 11. “The topic of the meeting was how candidates could benefit from Facebook’s campaign tools. It was intended as a promotional event for the technology company,” Republik.ch wrote. “One participant asked a question that had nothing to do with the marketing tools. Would Facebook be deploying its well-known ‘I’m a voter’ button in Switzerland? Yes, Geisel answered, the company was working on it.”
According to Republik, the election button is to be deployed the week before Swiss elections, scheduled for October 20, 2019, to remind voters to head to the polls. But officials in Bern have not been officially informed, it said.
“The Federal Chancellery has no knowledge of Facebook’s intention to deploy an ‘I’m a voter’ button in Switzerland. Facebook has not contacted us regarding this matter,” René Lenzin of the Federal Chancellery told Republik.
Full Article: Will Facebook influence the 2019 Swiss elections? – SWI swissinfo.ch.