Facebook confirmed on Monday that it pulled several advertisements placed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) campaign that called for the breakup of Facebook, Amazon, and Google. But "in the interest of allowing robust debate," Facebook told Politico, "we are restoring the ads."
The ads, placed Friday, targeted a small audience; they were replaced by text saying, "This ad was taken down because it goes against Facebook's advertising policies." Warren's original message was: "Three companies have vast power over our economy and our democracy. Facebook, Amazon, and Google. We all use them. But in their rise to power, they've bulldozed competition, used our private information for profit, and tilted the playing field in their favor." The ads linked to a petition urging Warren supporters to back "our plan to break up these big tech companies."
A Facebook spokesperson told Politico that the ads were removed because they "violated our policies against use of our corporate logo." In response, Warren tweeted: "Curious why I think FB has too much power? Let's start with their ability to shut down a debate over whether FB has too much power. Thanks for restoring my posts. But I want a social media marketplace that isn't dominated by a single censor."
