Facebook won’t fact-check political ads

Facebook said on Thursday it would continue its laissez-faire approach to political advertisements despite increasing pressure to either fact-check or ban them outright. The policy sets the company apart from other social media giants: Twitter has banned all political advertising, while Google has limited targeted political ads.

What will Facebook users see during the election season? The company announced it will allow users a bit more control over how many political ads they see, putting the onus on individuals to vet information. The company said in a statement it was acting on 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.”

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about Twitter’s decision to ban political ads and Facebook’s response.