"it is not our role to intervene when politicians speak." says former politician and UK deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, on behalf of Facebook as VP of Global Affairs and Communications.
So while one set of rules applies to the common man, politicians are free to roam Facebook as they see fit - unless its an ad. That message came out yesterday as Nick Clegg took the stage at the Atlantic Festival in Washington DC.
In the press release that followed on Facebook, Nick Clegg tries to clarify the view of Facebook when it comes to politics:
"We rely on third-party fact-checkers to help reduce the spread of false news and other types of viral misinformation, like memes or manipulated photos and videos. We don't believe, however, that it's an appropriate role for us to referee political debates and prevent a politician's speech from reaching its audience and being subject to public debate and scrutiny. That's why Facebook exempts politicians from our third-party fact-checking program."
and
"This means that we will not send organic content or ads from politicians to our third-party fact-checking partners for review. However, when a politician shares previously debunked content including links, videos and photos, we plan to demote that content, display related information from fact-checkers, and reject its inclusion in advertisements. "
So in short, if you have an opinion, and it is what pays your salary, Facebook rules don't apply fully to you and your posts. Is that fair?