What did the Supreme Court decide about disclosure and sponsor-identification requirements in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission?

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8–1 to uphold the disclosure and sponsor-identification requirements mandated by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA).12

While the Court invalidated restrictions on corporate and union independent expenditures, it maintained that disclosure requirements were constitutional. The majority expressed faith that, particularly with the rise of the internet, these provisions would provide transparency, allowing shareholders to evaluate whether political speech aligns with corporate interests and enabling citizens to identify potential influences on elected officials.321

The Court reasoned that such information serves the public interest by preventing corporate-funded advertising from misleading voters or disempowering shareholders. This endorsement of disclosure requirements became the foundation for subsequent lower-court rulings that have continued to uphold these transparency measures.12