Facebook announced plans on April 17 to introduce a new advert transparency tool to combat fake advertisements on the platform ahead of Ireland’s upcoming abortion referendum, according to a senior executive with the company.

Joel Kaplan made the announcement during an appearance before an Irish government committee to speak about the use of social media on elections and referendums in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Facebook has its European headquarters in Dublin.

Kaplan said Ireland would be added to a pilot programme for the View Ads feature on April 25, which would allow Facebook users to see all ads that an advertiser is running on the platform at the same time.

Ireland will vote on May 25 on whether to retain or repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Irish constitution, which gives equal right to life to the mother and the unborn child. Abortion is currently illegal in Ireland and is permitted only when the life of the mother is at risk. Credit: Oireachtas TV via Storyful