The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) passed regulations regarding reporting payments for online communications and accounting of lobbying entities.

Regulation 18421.10 seeks to shed light on social media manipulation by “purchasers” and “bots.”

Under the new rules, committees who pay more for exposure on social media will have to disclose the amount spent and the type of manipulation bought, whether it is for more likes, followers, or shares.

Regulation 18612 replaced the old regulation, increasing the reporting requirements and clarifying the style (i.e., journal, ledger, or record) of record keeping.

Similarly, the FPPC amended Regulation 18610 and Regulation 18615 involving lobbyist accounting and lobbyist employer accounting.

Both amended regulations and 18612 clean up the language of the regulation and heighten the record-keeping requirements mandated by the state.