Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defends decision to let politicians lie in ads

Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday defended the social network's decision not to send speech from politicians to third-party fact-checkers, a move that's drawn scrutiny, especially from Democrats in the US.

"I don't think most people want to live in a world where you can only post things that tech companies judge to be 100% true," Zuckerberg said during a nearly 40-minute speech at Georgetown University.

The remarks highlight the social network's controversial approach to political speech as it tries to strike a balance between free speech and combating misinformation during elections. They could also escalate tensions between Facebook and politicians as the 2020 campaign season heats up. Democrats and civil rights groups swiftly criticized Zuckerberg's speech, arguing that the company hasn't learned from its past mistakes.