SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook says it does not fact check politicians’ statements, even if they might be false. The social network operator says that’s because such statements could be newsworthy — and that it doesn’t want to act as a “referee” for political debates.

The company works with third-party fact checkers including The Associated Press to weed out misinformation, such as false news and manipulated photos and videos.

Speaking at the Atlantic Festival in Washington on Tuesday, Nick Clegg, Facebook’s vice president of global affairs, said the company has exempted politicians from its fact checking program for more than a year. But if politicians share previously debunked links or other material, those will be demoted and banned from being included in ads.

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