The United States is in the midst of an extremely heated and contentious political season. I expect that things are going to increase in intensity as we get closer to November. Political advertisements that are designed to promote a particular candidate, or to disparage the opponent of a particular candidate, are everywhere!
These ads can be found on Facebook, in the banners and ad spaces on individual blogs and websites, and, of course, all over television. They are ubiquitous and inescapable.
No matter what your personal political leanings happen to be, it is vitally important that you take the time to become an informed voter. As you might expect, there is an app that can help you to do that. The app is called Ad Hawk. It has been created by The Sunlight Foundation, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that “uses the power of the Internet to catalyze greater government openness and transparency”.
The Ad Hawk app is free to download. It is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch (third generation), iPod Touch (fourth generation) and the iPad. It requires iOS 5.0 or later. You can also use the Ad Hawk app on Android devices.
Use the Ad Hawk app whenever a political ad appears on your television. Ad Hawk listens to the audio coming from the ad. Press the button that says “Identify this Ad”. Ad Hawk will show you who sponsored the ad, how much money was received or spent, where the ad is on the air, media reports on the political group or the ad, and it will give you places where you can learn more information about them.