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'It' Novelist Stephen King Announced He Is Quitting Facebook Due to Privacy Concerns and Misleading Political Advertisements

It novelist Stephen King announced he is quitting Facebook due to privacy concerns and misleading political advertisements, according to a report from the Washington Post. "I'm quitting Facebook," King posted on Twitter. "Not comfortable with the flood of false information that's allowed in its political advertising, nor am I confident in its ability to protect its users' privacy." Political advertisements do not undergo a usual fact-checking process on Facebook. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended this process, stating he does not want the company to referee political advertisements in the interest of freedom of expression. In contrast, Twitter and Google began cracking down on political advertisements in 2019. Twitter banned political advertisements and Google is regulating false claims and targeted advertising, according to CBS News. Other public figures have also criticized the social media platform for its handling of political advertisements and user data, including Cher, Will Ferrell, and Sacha Baron Cohen.