Facebook fired back at Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren Saturday after she accused the social media giant of “enabling” President Donald Trump’s campaign to spread lies and disinformation.
Directing their tweet at Warren, the Facebook Newsroom explained, “looks like broadcast stations across the country have aired this ad nearly 1,000 times, as required by law. FCC doesn’t want broadcast companies censoring candidates’ speech. We agree it’s better to let voters—not companies—decide.” (RELATED: Elizabeth Warren Is Using Her Own Fake Facebook Ad To Try To Take The Platform Down)
@ewarren looks like broadcast stations across the country have aired this ad nearly 1,000 times, as required by law. FCC doesn’t want broadcast companies censoring candidates’ speech. We agree it’s better to let voters—not companies—decide. #FCC #candidateuse https://t.co/WlWePjh1vZ
— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) October 12, 2019
The Facebook Newsroom also shared a graphic, showing the reach of competing impeachment messaging ads — one from Trump’s campaign team and the other from Democratic 2020 hopeful and entrepreneur Tom Steyer.
Impeachment messaging has dominated broadcast airwaves over the past week.
Pro and anti-impeachment messages from @realDonaldTrump and @TomSteyer have aired nearly 3,000 times in the last 7 days on local broadcast in the first four primary states. #impeachment pic.twitter.com/g42Lk7JYmn
— Advertising Analytics (@Ad_Analytics) October 12, 2019
Warren — who tested the system Saturday by intentionally creating a false ad to run on the platform — shot back, continuing to claim that Facebook was valuing profits over democracy. “You’re making my point here. It’s up to you whether you take money to promote lies. You can be in the disinformation-for-profit business, or you can hold yourself to some standards,” she said.
You’re making my point here. It’s up to you whether you take money to promote lies. You can be in the disinformation-for-profit business, or you can hold yourself to some standards. In fact, those standards were in your policy. Why the change? https://t.co/CE766Jpwoo
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) October 13, 2019
Facebook announced late last week that the platform would not be censoring political ads, responding to a letter from former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign asking that they refuse to air an ad tying Biden and his son Hunter to corruption in Ukraine.
Fox News and the New York Times also rejected requests from the Biden campaign to block the ad. CNN, while not citing any letter from the Biden camp, announced that the network would not air that ad.