How Facebook is justifying its decision to let politicians lie in ads

Mark Zuckerberg.
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

You might see fewer political ads on Facebook this year, but they might contain the same number of lies.

The company announced Thursday that it was adding "a new control that will allow people to see fewer political and social issue ads on Facebook and Instagram." But the company also stood by its policy of allowing politicians to run ads that contain false claims. Rob Leathern, director of product management, touted Thursday "the principle that people should be able to hear from those who wish to lead them, warts and all, and that what they say should be scrutinized and debated in public." Twitter, in contrast, decided last year to ban political advertising entirely.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.